Roadways staff on 24-hr fast today; buses to run

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, September 19

The Haryana Roadways Workers’ Union has announced to observe a 24-hour hunger strike from 11 am on Thursday in protest against the imposition of ESMA and hiring of private buses.

Ramashray Singh, secretary of the union, said here on Wednesday that the hunger strike would be observed in response to a call given by the Joint Action Committee of the union. He said the decision to this effect was taken in a meeting of the committee which resolved to condemn the move of the government to bring the transport services under ESMA. Moreover, the workers’ union was upset with the decision of the state government to hire around 510 buses from private operators to enhance the capacity of the roadways fleet.

Alleging that the state government was bent upon implementing the policy of privatisation and outsourcing, he said that it would only result in winding up of the state Transport Department in a phased manner, which he said was not acceptable.

He said the hunger strike would begin at 11am at respective bus depots throughout the state and would continue till 11am on Friday. The strike would not affect the plying of buses as the committee was not in favour of causing any inconvenience to the commuters, he added.