Continuing its protest against the State Government’s decision to allow private buses to ply within and from the state, Haryana Roadways employees’ unions have now threatened to hold statewide strike (chaka jam) from October 16-17.
Leaders of Haryana Roadways Workers Union said that the roadways employees will hold chakka jam at all depots in Haryana on October 16-17 despite the imposition of Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) in the state.
The State Government and roadways employees’ unions had been at loggerheads since a long time over the issue of hiring of over 700 private buses by the State Transport Department.
Notably, Haryana Government had on August 30 imposed ESMA to prevent the one-day strike of roadways unions from taking place on September 5. Following ESMA enforcement, the strike call given by roadways unions had fizzled out.
Earlier on August 7, commuters were inconvenienced when roadways’ employees had taken part in a nationwide strike for the amendments to the Motor Vehicle Act. Around 4000 buses of Haryana roadways had remained off the roads on that day.
As per the Transport Department, Haryana roadways have been able to cater to only 12.5 lakh of the about 33 lakh daily commuters.