Roadways employee union extends strike till Monday
Govt claims to have roped in over 2,000 buses from different pvt institutions; commuters’ plight worsens across Haryana
CHANDIGARH: The confrontation between the Haryana government and striking roadways employees over government’s decision to induct 700 private buses further intensified on Friday with the latter extending their strike for three more days till October 22.
Calling the government’s move a step towards privatisation, the employees had first gone on a two-day strike on October 16 but extended it for two more days after the government stated that the step was taken in employees’ and people’s interest and cracked the whip on the employees. In retaliation, the union on Friday announced to extend their strike for three more days.
Meanwhile, hundreds of commuters across Haryana continued to be on the receiving end of the confrontation between the government and roadways staff.
The transport department had on Thursday launched a damage control exercise and roped in buses and drivers from private educational and other institutes to ferry passengers.
Roadways employees union leader Sarbat Poonia said they will take the further course of action on Monday.
Additional chief secretary (transport) Dhanpat Singh said that while the department could rope in about 3,000 buses from different institutions on Thursday, the demand was less on Friday owing to Dussehra.
On Friday, the department ran about 2,100 buses—700 roadways, 460 school buses and 1,050 from cooperative societies with drivers of different departments as well as police personnel or other persons as its conductors.
The additional chief secretary said that the Chandigarh depot remained the worst hit as against the routine 80 roadways buses, it ran only two. Other hard-hit districts were Fatehabad, Jind, Kurukshetra and Kaithal.
He added that the situation in the remaining districts and Delhi depot was not as bad as roadways and other official agencies could rope in several buses. He, however, also admitted that the roadways did not ply any of its 100 buses on the interstate long routes.
In Rohtak, the administration roped in several school buses of private schools to compensate for the roadways buses that went off roads due to employees’ strike.
The authorities said the schools’ permission were sought before requesting them to allot their buses as they would be free during holidays for Dussehra. At many places, Haryana Police officials were asked to drive the Haryana Roadways buses
In Karnal, striking roadways employees burnt the effigy of the chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar.
As many as 44 striking employees of Haryana roadways were arrested and 12, including union leaders Virender Singh, were sent to judicial custody, whereas 32 were granted bail.
UNION GETS POLITICAL BACKING
The striking employees were also seen getting support from different political leaders. In Rohtak, Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) leader Abhay Chautala met the striking employees, supported their demand and slammed the government for its failure to handle the issue. Former chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda attacked the government over strike and called it a big inconvenience to the public.
In Kurukshetra, the INLD state president Ashok Arora met the protesting employees and extended support to their demands.
He asked the government to resolve the issue to provide relief to the people.