Beginning at this time, almost 2,700 of the three,000 authorities buses operated by Punjab Roadways, PRTC, and PUNBUS will stay off the roads till January 8. This comes because the Punjab Roadways PUNBUS/PRTC Contract Employees Union has introduced a three-day strike. The union claims that about 90% of staff in PUNBUS and PRTC are on a contract foundation, and they’re demanding the regularisation of their jobs.
The strike is anticipated to trigger important inconvenience to commuters, who must depend on non-public buses throughout this era. Protesters allege that the federal government has been ignoring their calls for for regularisation.
In accordance with Resham Singh Gill, president of the PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Employees Union, round 2,700 autos might be affected by the strike. He highlighted that neighbouring states like Haryana and Himachal Pradesh regularise staff after two years, whereas Punjab has failed to take action.
Union leaders additionally identified that regardless of offering uninterrupted providers throughout the pandemic, floods, elections, and political rallies, their calls for have been neglected.
No authorities buses will function throughout Punjab throughout the strike. State secretary Shamsher Singh Dhillon stated repeated submissions of demand letters to the federal government have yielded no outcomes.
The union acknowledged that the strike would inconvenience the general public however maintained that it was left with no various to press for its calls for. These calls for embrace the regularisation of contract employees, the implementation of the “equal work, equal pay” method as directed by the Supreme Court docket, and a rise in salaries. In addition they search monetary advantages below welfare schemes, group insurance coverage, ESIC, and EPFO, which they declare are at the moment denied.
The union additional alleged that households of deceased staff aren’t receiving their rightful advantages. It highlighted the difficulty of unlawful wage deductions and demanded that such practices be stopped.
Different key calls for embrace scrapping the kilometre non-public proprietor bus scheme, rising the fleet of PUNBUS and PRTC buses to 10,000, curbing the transport mafia at bus stands and state gates, reinstating dismissed staff, abolishing blacklists, and guaranteeing no unjust terminations.
Union members stated these points had been raised with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Singh Mann throughout a gathering in July final 12 months, the place he promised a decision inside a month. Nonetheless, no motion has been taken, prompting the union to resort to the strike.
The union additionally criticised the federal government for offering free bus providers for girls with out providing monetary grants to PRTC and PUNBUS. This, they stated, has led to an absence of spare elements and delayed salaries. The restricted variety of operational buses has resulted in overcrowding, inflicting main accidents.
In the meantime, round 10% of presidency buses within the state are being operated by common staff of PUNBUS and PRTC.
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