Gate rally organised to protest hiring of outsourced workers

Tribune News Service
Jalandhar, July 8

To oppose the new recruitment of workers on an outsourced basis, contractual workers under the banner of the Punjab Roadways/Punbus Contractual Workers Union today during a gate rally at the Roadways Depot 2 announced that from tomorrow onwards all union members would launch a state-level strike, if any worker was hired on an outsourced basis.

“From blocking roads with buses to climbing water tanks, union members in all 18 state depots will do everything to intensify their protest against the Transport Department,” said district general secretary Jasbir Singh.

Indicating it as their final ultimatum to department officials, the workers demanded that this illegal practice of hiring workers should immediately be stopped and the contractors should not be allowed to interfere in the departmental functioning.

Jasbir said instead of recruiting 900 new workers, the department should allow the 1,200 suspended workers to continue their services. Even since the contract was given to the Datar Security Service, the existing workers were wrongfully suspended from their services. Aiming to accumulate high security deposits from the new workers, the company was hiring workers through unlawful means, as the Supreme Court in its verdict has strictly banned the appointment of workers on an outsourced basis. Also, the banned practice was the prime source of corruption in the department.

The district general secretary said the contractors had been playing with the future of youths by employing them through an outsourced basis.