Punjab: Roadways contract workers made a U-turn on Monday, refusing to end their strike until all arrested or detained workers were released and those suspended and dismissed were reinstated. Responding to this, Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) Vice-Chairman Balwinder Singh said that the process of reinstating the workers was underway, and that the protesters’ stance on resuming service only after the dismissed workers was wrong. However, he added, “Bus service has been slightly affected and will soon be fully operational as the government is considering rehiring retired drivers.”
The decision to continue the protest was taken on Sunday night after the protesting union reached an agreement with the state government. Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar also attended the meeting. Resham Singh Gill, leader of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC Contract Workers Union, claimed that 173 workers are still in police custody. He said, “The strike will end only when the arrested and detained workers reach their respective depots.” The minister had assured the union of immediate release, but he said, “Not a single worker has been released yet.” Meanwhile, public transport remained paralyzed for the fourth consecutive day due to the strike.
Being a Monday, bus terminals in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Patiala, Bathinda, Ludhiana, and other major cities were heavily crowded. With government buses parked, office-goers jostled for seats on private buses. Protests began across the state on November 28th against the opening of tenders under the kilometer scheme—a system under which private operators lease buses to the Transport Department and are paid a fixed rate for each kilometer traveled. Workers say this move is a “backdoor attempt” to allow private companies to operate on government-designated routes, which could jeopardize thousands of jobs. Union leaders alleged that the police detained around 170 workers and charged 10 with attempt to murder for allegedly attacking an inspector in Sangrur.
Punjab: Roadways employees take a U-turn, say protest is still on
