Roadways workers oppose outsourcing , hold rally

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, April 29

Intensifying their protest against the Transport Department for their negligence to recruit workers through ‘outsource contractual process’, the Punjab Roadways/Punbus Contract Workers Union today held a gate rally at the city bus stand. Workers of the union alleged that the new contractors under ‘Datar Security Services’ have inflicted hard conditions on the outsource workers.

They insisted to the authorities to withdraw the recruitment system on outsource basis and the existing outsource workers be converted into contractual workers.

The rally was organised in the Punjab Roadways depots of the state, wherein the union workers stated that in the recently-held rally they had given an ultimatum to the authorities to comply with their demands uptill April 30. However, the Transport Minister has again disappointed them.

Gurpreet Singh, president of the district depot, and other members, intended that they would organise a state-level protest march on May 1, in Patiala. The protest would be organised under the banner of Theka Mulazim Sangharsh Union that comprises around 35 other unions and more than 1. 50 lakh workers would join the protest march.

The workers will also ‘gherao’ the residence of the Chief Minister.General Secretary of the union Jasbir Singh said if the government would not fulfil their demands then the 4,400 roadways buses in the state would not move after May 1.