Punjab Roadways employees to stage strike over demand for permanent appointments

Chandigarh: The Punjab Roadways employees’ union in Jalandhar announced a statewide protest on Tuesday, demanding the permanent appointment of contractual workers. Various unions declared that all bus stands in the state would remain closed for two hours on April 3, followed by a complete strike on April 6, 7, and 8.

Union leaders criticized the Punjab government for not addressing their demands in the recent budget. Resham Singh Gill, president of the Punjab Roadways Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union, said that despite repeated discussions with former chief ministers Parkash Singh Badal, Captain Amarinder Singh, and current CM Bhagwant Singh Mann, their demands remain unmet.

“It has been three years since we engaged with this government. We held small demonstrations, but nothing changed. Initially, we refrained from striking to avoid causing inconvenience to the people of Punjab, but the government did not listen,” Gill said.

The union also noted that while the Punjab government has announced plans to purchase 10,000 new buses, it has not taken steps to regularize the services of contractual employees.