Roadways employees hold mass rally near bus stand

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 13

As many as three thousand workers of Punjab Roadways had assembled at the city bus stand on Thursday to protest against the state transport minister’s unfair policies and inaction towards their demands. During the protest rally, the workers of Punjab Roadways Employees Sanjhi Action Committee alleged that the corruption in the Punjab Roadways was in the notice of Transport Minister Aruna Chaudhary and she has failed to curb the plying of private buses across the state.

Secretary of the union Baljit Singh said the monopoly of private bases was causing huge losses to the roadways, but the authorities have continuously refused to take any action against the owners of private buses. “Special operation buses running in the district have increased. As these are owned by Congress and other political party leaders, the ministers didn’t take any action in favour of Punjab Roadways,” added Baljit.

The workers also agitated against the transport minister’s indifferent attitude towards the roadways workers’ demands. They said their demands to deploy more drivers and conductors in the roadways and to regularise the time table of private and roadways buses were left unheeded every time they approached the minister. Prime demands raised during the rally were, regularisation of contractual workers, implementation of transport policy formed in 1990 and a proper time table to be adopted to restrict the monopoly of private buses.

Union members said they were suffering due to rigid and harsh attitude of transport minister. The members of the committee also alleged that the new transport policy was also against the interest of workers of the Punjab roadways buses. Moreover, no heed has been paid towards increment in the salary of workers and equal wages for equal work, as per the directions mentioned in the Supreme Court guidelines.

The cancelled permit of 12,110 buses should be renewed immediately so that limited private buses are available. “Apart from that, the DA instalments should be given to designated workers. The pensions being stopped by the state government should also be credited to the retired workers of Punjab Roadways,” demanded additional vice- president of the union.

What employees say...

• Monopoly of private bases causing huge losses to the roadways. 
• The demand to deploy more drivers and conductors in the roadways remains unheeded.
• Delay in increment in the salary of workers.
• No implementation of equal wages for equal work, as per the directions mentioned in the Supreme Court guidelines.