Contractual workers of Punjab Roadways to hold protest today

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, August 14

The Punjab Roadways/ Punbus Contractor Union workers have planned to organise a protest march through out the city on Wednesday. They have decided to protest against the Transport Minister’s negligence to fulfill their demands. Union secretary Jasbir Singh said they would continue to wear black bands until the ministry paid heed towards their demands. A state-wise protest could also be observed on September 10, he added.

The secretary said the main demands that needed immediate attention were implementation of Supreme Court’s guidelines of equal wages for equal work and the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s orders regarding the cancellation of driving permit of 12,210 private buses and regularisation of contractual workers.

Besides, the secretary added, that demands had also been made for covering workers under the Punjab Pension Scheme, loan waiver of Punbus and DA to be given to all drivers and conductors.

Previously also, the workers had organised a similar protest, confining buses to local depots, the employees went to the residence of State Transport Minister Aruna Chaudhary in Gurdaspur.

Jalandhar president of the union Daljit Singh said during the earlier protests, the minister had stated that workers working with the Punjab Roadways were not registered workers. They were instead labourers. On this, workers had been fuming in anger and asked for an apology.

The workers demanded that the authorities should conduct a meeting to resolve all their pending demands. On June 25, the Transport Minister had assured that a meeting would be held with the roadways’ presidents, but nothing happened in this regard, said Jasbir Singh.

The workers have given an ultimatum to the Transport Minister that one-day strike would be observed on September 10, if a meeting to resolve their pending demands was not conducted.