Contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation (PRTC) commenced a three-day strike on Monday to push for their long-pending demands, including the regularisation of their jobs and a salary hike.
The strike has caused significant disruption across the state, leaving commuters stranded at various bus stands as approximately 2,800 buses of Punjab Roadways and PRTC remained off the roads.
Resham Singh Gill, President of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union, stated that around 8,000 contractual employees are participating in the strike. Demonstrations are being organized at all 27 bus depots in Punjab as part of the protest. “Our demands include the regularisation of jobs for contractual workers and a salary hike, which have been ignored for too long,” Gill said.
A meeting between the union and Punjab Transport Minister Laljit Singh Bhullar was held recently to discuss these demands. However, no resolution was reached, leading to the decision to escalate the protest.
The union has announced plans to march toward Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence on Tuesday as part of their ongoing agitation.
The strike has severely impacted public transportation, with thousands of daily commuters facing difficulties. Passengers at bus stands across the state expressed frustration over the lack of alternatives and called for an immediate resolution to the issue.
While the state government has yet to respond to the strike, the union remains steadfast in its demands. “We will not back down until our legitimate demands are met,” said a protesting worker.
This strike highlights the growing discontent among contractual employees in the state’s public transport sector, underlining the need for urgent intervention to address their grievances.
