Hoshiarpur, Contractual employees of the state-owned Punjab Roadways on Monday held gate rallies at many bus depots in the state to press the state government to accept their demands, including regularisation of services and abolition of the contractual system.
The rallies were organised by the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union at all 27 depots across the state.
Addressing a gathering at the Hoshiarpur depot, state union leader Kulwant Singh alleged that the Aam Aadmi Party -led Punjab government had failed to fulfil its promise of regularising contractual employees despite repeated assurances.
He claimed that around 70 meetings had been held with the government over the past four years, but no concrete decision had been taken on the employees’ demands.
The union claimed that committees constituted by the government to examine the issue had also failed to produce any results.
The union alleged that no contractual employee in the transport department had been regularised since the present government assumed office and claimed that workers continued to face exploitation under the contractual system.
Hoshiarpur depot president Raminder Singh and secretary Narinder Singh alleged irregularities in route scheduling, recruitment of outsourced staff and attempts to implement a special cadre policy for contractual employees without addressing their long-pending demands.
They claimed that during a meeting on June 24, the government had sought 10 days to prepare a draft policy for regularising contractual employees and resolving other issues but had failed to take any decision so far.
The union reiterated that employees would observe a three-day strike from August 3 to 5 and stage protests outside the residences of the Punjab Chief Minister and the Transport Minister if their demands remained unresolved.
It also announced plans to hold a hunger strike during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Punjab Assembly.
The union warned that if the government or the management attempted to prevent the strike or took action against the protesting employees, the agitation would be intensified and the strike extended indefinitely.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
