In view of the strike call2,500 buses of Punjab Roadways and the PRTC were off the roads.
Patiala, September 20, 2023: As per media reports, contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation went on a strike on Wednesday in support of their demands, including a hike in pay.
According to the news published in The Tribune, the contractual workers started their protest at midnight. Earlier, they had held a similar two-hour protest at the bus stands on September 14.
According to the workers, the state government has already accepted a number of their demands, but is yet to implement them.
There are over 7,500 contractual workers of the PRTC and PUNBUS.
Harkesh Vicky of the union said the contractual workers had stopped plying of all buses at 27 bus depots in the state.
“Only the regular staff members are rendering their services. We will continue our protest until our demands are implemented.”
Harjinder Singh, president of PRTC and PUNBUS contract workers’ union, Patiala, said the state government had assured them to increase their salaries.
“But the increments accepted then have not been accorded. Till now, the Aam Aadmi Party-led state government has failed to regularise our workers in the last one and a half years.”
The leaders said a meeting with the government officials is going on in Chandigarh, adding that the protest would continue indefinitely in case no consensus is reached, -The Tribune reported.
