ESMA invoked to prohibit roadways staffers’ strike
CHANDIGARH: The state government on Thursday invoked Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), thus prohibiting the strike called by the employees of Haryana Roadways on September 5.
The same law is being invoked to end the ongoing strike by a section of government health workers.
Additional chief secretary (ACS), transport department, Dhanpat Singh said the government has prohibited the strike by the employees of the state transport department or Haryana Roadways for a period of six months under the ESMA with immediate effect. “Besides departmental action, people disrupting services or damaging public property will be arrested under various sections of the said act,” he added.
WORKERS’ UNION SAYS WILL OBSERVE STRIKE
Meanwhile, Haryana Roadways Sarvkarmchari Sangh president Dalbir Singh said it was shocking as it showed the government was bent on suppressing employees’ voice by invoking ESMA.
Haryana Roadways workers had given the strike call to protest against the government’s move to allow private buses to run within and from the state.
“We are ready to make any sacrifice to save the department from going into hands of private operators and will observe the strike on September 5,” he said.
Dalbir also alleged favouritism to a chosen few as contrary to government’s previous stance which stated that societies will be roped in to run buses. “It is now said that some operators with 100 or more buses are being roped in,” he added.
The ACS, however, refuted the allegations by saying that it was neither favouritism nor a bid to privatise the services. “The entire process has rather been done in a transparent manner where the bus and its driver will be of the operator and its conductor will be deputed by the department.
The revenue will come to government, which would give ₹32 to ₹36 per km to the operator,” he added.
The union leaders have also demanded purchase of new buses and filling of all vacancies in the department which, they held, will bring “huge profits”.
At least 12 lakh people travel daily in around 4,000 buses of Haryana Roadways.