Roadways staff halt service for 2 hours in Bathinda

Tribune Reporters

Bathinda/Abohar, Sept 24

The Punjab Roadways Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union staged a protest and blocked the Bathinda city bus stand for two hours here today.

The union members raised slogans against the state government and demanded regularisation of services. Meanwhile, commuters had to face inconvenience due to traffic snarl-ups on the Bathinda-Goniana road.

Kulwant Singh, a state-level leader of the union, said the state government had been ignoring their demand of regularisation of services for a long time, leaving them with no option but to protest.

Promise unfulfilled

We were assured during a meeting that our demands will be met. But now after the change of guard, the government officials are backtracking from their decision. —Kulwant Singh, Contract workers’ union leader

“Even the newly appointed CM did not call any meeting to resolve our issue. We had called off our agitation after being assured during a meeting on September 14 that our demands would be met. But now after the change of guard, the government officials are backtracking from their decision.” The government had assured them of increase in salaries and annual increment, but it had adopted an evasive stance on the matter now, he added.

“We had postponed our agitation till September 28 but with nothing concrete being done to honour their promises, we have decided to resume it today. If our demands are not fulfilled, we will sit on a dharna outside the new Chief Minister’s residence on October 12 and also carry out state-wide rallies and strike work at all bus stands,” added Singh.

In Abohar, employees organised a protest at the bus stand, raising slogans against the government and halting movement of buses for two hours. Interestingly, almost all buses bore pictures of former CM Capt Amarinder Singh.

Ferozepur Roadways Depot Employees’ Union president Baldev Singh said the managements of PRTC and PUNBUS were not paying heed to the demands of contract workers. He said the union would support the farmers’ call for ‘Bharat Bandh’ on September 27.