Contractual staff strike paralyzes Indian Punjab roadways, transport services
Jalandhar: In India, thousands of commuters across Punjab faced severe disruption on Monday as contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Punjab Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) launched a statewide strike, bringing bus operations to a halt at several depots.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the strike was called by the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union to press long-pending demands, including withdrawal of police cases registered against union members during last year’s protests.
In a video message released on Sunday evening, union state president Resham Singh Gill said the employees had served strike notices to the government but no concrete decision was taken despite repeated meetings.
“We have been assured several times that our demands would be addressed. Even during a meeting with the transport management on Thursday, we were given assurances but no notification was issued. As a result, all contractual workers of Punjab Roadways and PRTC joined the strike from Sunday midnight,” Gill said.
He said the union has also planned a hunger strike in Mohali to coincide with the Punjab Assembly session. Gill said a meeting with Transport Minister Harpal Singh Cheema was scheduled for 10 am on Monday. He warned that if the government failed to provide written assurances on the union’s demands, the strike would continue indefinitely and the hunger strike would begin on Tuesday.
The strike severely affected bus operations at several depots, forcing students, office-goers and female travellers to scramble for alternative modes of transport amid peak hours. The full extent of the disruption is expected to widen as the day progresses, with commuters bearing the brunt of the state government’s failure to resolve workers’ grievances.
