Roadways, PRTC staff continue protest as talks with govt fail
CHANDIGARH/ LUDHIANA/ BATHINDA: Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) and Punjab Roadways Contractual Employees’ Union decided to continue their strike after talks with the state government on Monday remained inconclusive. The PRTC and Punjab Roadways employees are on strike to protest against the suspension of a conductor of Batala depot and transfers of contractual employees. The striking employees’ leaders met additional principal secretary to CM Himanshu Jain and director, state transport, Amandeep Kaur, but they failed to come to an agreement.
Jain and Kaur held talks with a delegation of union led by state president Resham Singh. The strike was triggered by action taken against the bus conductor by the roadways management for alleged dereliction of duty. It was decided in the meeting that on duty enquiry against suspended conductor Pritpal Singh will be completed within three days, an official release said. Director, state transport, also gave her nod to review the transfers of employees from Ferozepur to Patti within seven days. However, the striking employees, who have been seeking immediate reinstatement of conductor, were not satisfied.
The employees’ unions have also been demanding regularisation of services of contractual employees and ending the system of engaging staff through outsourcing. The government spokesperson said other pending demands of the state employees were also deliberated upon and were noted by the officers for further action. They said that these demands will be considered sympathetically for which a meeting will be held again on December 12.
After the meeting, Resham Singh told a TV channel that their talks with the government officials were inconclusive . “The protest will be intensified. We will stage a protest outside the chief minister’s residence on Tuesday,” he said.
Meanwhile, with the ongoing blockade entering the fifth day on Monday, government bus services remained disrupted leaving the passengers in a lurch.
Later in the evening, the government of Punjab said in a tweet that the transport department has accepted major demands of the contractual staffers.
“The on-duty enquiry against suspended conductor Pritpal Singh will be done in a time bound manner and will be completed within three days,” read the tweet.