Roadways strike to go on for 4 more days, khaps back stir

CHANDIGARH/ROHTAK:COMMUTERS in Haryana will continue to suffer as protesting Roadways staff on Monday announced to extend their 14-day strike by four more days.

“The strike that was to end today has been extended till November 2 as the government remains adamant. Till our demands are not met, the strike will continue,” said Deepak Balhara, general secretary of the agitating Roadways union.

To make matters worse for the Bjp-led state government, various khaps and gram panchayats have come out in support of Roadways staff and warned the government of a bigger stir if their demands are not met.

Also, Haryana Sarvkarmchari Sangh — the umbrella body of over 40 government employees’ unions – will be going on a two-day strike from Tuesday to express solidarity with protesting Roadways staff.

The roadways employees are on strike since October 16 against the government’s move to induct 700 private buses which they allege is a step towards privatisation of the department and would favour a chosen few. The government, however, maintains the move is in favour of employees and people.

Prominent khaps such as Malik khap, Kundu khap, Hooda khap, Meham chaubisi - and gram panchayats of several villages took out a protest march in Rohtak on Monday along with Roadways employees.

“This is injustice being done by the government. A good government would have heard the employees and took steps of resolving their issues. However, this government is adamant at suppressing their voice and terminating the services of those who have given their entire lives to the Roadways,” said Sri Krishna Hooda, Congress MLA from Baroda constituency who had joined the protest.

“The state government has not taken back its decision to run 700 odd private buses. Now, even after the two-day strike if the government does not rollback its decision, we will start a ‘pol khol’ campaign against the government,” Subhash Lamba, general secretary of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh, said.

The government, on the other hand, has taken a tough stance by suspending striking employees under Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and is making frantic efforts to run the bus services with alternative arrangements, including making fresh recruitment of drivers and conductors, besides hiring buses from other sources. The department, having a fleet of 4,100 buses, cater to about 12 lakh passengers daily.

The strike has hit students, who rely on state-run buses to commute to colleges daily, the most. These students are now either being forced to shell out extra money every day on private buses or are forced to sit on rooftop of only a few overcrowded roadways buses that are plying, risking their lives.

ADDING TO GOVT’S WORRIES, HARYANA SARVKARMCHARI SANGH WILL BE GOING ON A TWODAY STRIKE FROM TODAY