NewsClick

NewsClick
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Covid-19
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • International
  • Sports
  • Articles
  • Videos
search
menu

SUBSCRIBE AND SUPPORT

image/svg+xml
  • All Articles
  • Newsclick Articles
  • All Videos
  • Newsclick Videos
  • हिन्दी
  • Politics
  • Economy
  • Science
  • Culture
  • India
  • Sports
  • International
  • Africa
  • Latin America
  • Palestine
  • Nepal
  • Pakistan
  • Sri Lanka
  • US
  • West Asia
About us
Grievance Redressal Mechanism
Newsletter
Facebook - Newsclick Twitter - Newsclick Instagram - Newsclick Youtube - Newsclick RSS - Newsclick
close menu
×
You deserve independent, critical media. Subscribe and Support
Politics
India

Contractual Workers of Punjab Roadways Go on Three-day Strike

The protesting workers alleged that despite working for 10-15 years in Punbus, their jobs have not been regularised and they are forced to work at meagre salaries of Rs 6000-7000 per month.
Newsclick Report
02 Jul 2019
Contractual Workers of Punjab Roadways Go on Three-day Strike

Image Courtesy: PTC News

Contractual workers of the state-owned Punjab State Bus Stand Management Company- Punbus- that comes under the Punjab Roadways are on a three-day strike from Tuesday, July 2, demanding regularisation of their jobs and increased salary.

More than 4,500 workers have come in support of the strike which is being organised under the banner of Punjab Roadways Punbus Contractual Workers’ Union that is affiliated to the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU).

"Contractual employees have been working for the past several years but they have not been regularised," said a protesting member of the union in Ludhiana on Tuesday. They claimed that drivers and conductors were being paid a meagre amount of Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 per month as salaries.

Also read: Punjab Roadways Workers Observe Strike 6th Time in 2018

The protesters held demonstrations at several bus depots including the ones at Ludhiana and Amritsar and raised slogans against the state government for not acceding to their long pending demands.

The Punbus has a fleet of about 1,900 buses in the state and almost 400 buses are being operated under the Punjab Roadways.

“Punbus operates under Punjab Roadways and most of the workers there are either contractual or outsourced. It is almost 15 years since Punbus was formed. The contract system itself is illegal and now they have started outsourcing workers. So, we demand that the outsourcing should be stopped,” said Raghunath Singh of CITU.

“Punbus and Punjab Roadways should be merged together and people who have been working here in Punbus for last 10-15 years should be regularised,” Singh said, adding that there should be equal pay for equal work.

Also read: HP: New Buses Gather Dust in Yards, As Old Ones Remain Overcrowded

On the second day of protest, the workers will 'gherao' the residence of Punjab Transport Minister Razia Sultana at Malerkotla in Sangrur as part of their protest. After the three-day strike, the workers will decide their future course of action.

When asked about the impact of Motor Vehicle Amendment Bill 2016, Singh said that the new policy is actually harming the public transport system. “Protests against the policy of the government- amendment in the Motor Vehicle Act- have been increasing day by day from every spectrum,” he said.

The government, however, claims the amendments make Indian roads safer and drastically reduce the chances of accidents as, among other proposals, it heavily hikes the penalties for traffic offences. But the transport sector associations have been pointing out that instead of strengthening road safety and regulatory mechanisms, the amendments are an attempt to hand over the core road transport sector – including licensing, registration, maintenance and spare parts market – to the corporates.

Also read: Motor Workers Protest, Say Amendment Bill Will Hand Over Transport Sector to Corporates

(With inputs from PTI)

Get the latest reports & analysis with people's perspective on Protests, movements & deep analytical videos, discussions of the current affairs in your Telegram app. Subscribe to NewsClick's Telegram channel & get Real-Time updates on stories, as they get published on our website.
Punjab Transport Workers Strike
Punbus
Punjab Roadways
Workers Struggle
Transport workers strike
Workers Protests in India
Worker Protests in Punjab
public transport system
Related Stories
TN: Workers in Small Plantations Denied Minimum Wages, Welfare Measures

TN: Workers in Small Plantations Denied Minimum Wages, Welfare Measures

Punjab

Contractual Bus Staff Slam Punjab Govt for Delaying Regularisation, Go on Indefinite Strike

Cover image

Punjab Bus Strike: Contractual Staff Threaten to Block National Highways on Sept. 15

Punjab Roadways Contract Workers Protest, Demand Regularisation of Services

Punjab Roadways Contract Workers Protest, Demand Regularisation of Services

Punjab Transport Workers Go on 3-Day Strike; Truckers Protest against Fuel Price Rise

Punjab Transport Workers Go on 3-Day Strike; Truckers Protest against Fuel Price Rise

Bhagat Singh

It Still Takes a Loud Voice to Make the Deaf Hear

‘Roll Back Fuel Price Hikes’: Transport Workers to Hold Bandh on December 7

‘Roll Back Fuel Price Hikes’: Transport Workers to Hold Bandh on December 7

Transport Workers to Join All India Strike on November 26

Transport Workers to Join All India Strike on November 26

Ambedkar in Times of Corona

Curse of Caste: Lessons from Ambedkar in Times of Corona

Tamil Nadu: State Transport Workers Protest for Wage-Revision

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on WhatsAppShare via EmailShare on RedditShare on KindlePrint
Share
You deserve independent, critical media. We want readers like you. Support independent, critical media. Subscribe to Newsclick.

Subscribe and Support


Latest

  • ‘JNU Dhabas Central to Campus Life, Closing Them is bad Choice,’ say Students, Teachers

    ‘JNU Dhabas Central to Campus Life, Closing Them is bad Choice,’ say Students, Teachers

  • Kashmir Parties Slam Arrest of Alt News Co-founder

    Kashmir Parties Slam Arrest of Alt News Co-founder

  • fertilisers in India Ukraine War

    Fertiliser Crisis: Transfer Farm Inputs Subsidy Directly to Cultivators, Give Sops for Millet, Pulses, Say Farm Activists

  • How Kashmir, Pakistan and Secularism are Interconnected

    PSAJK Slams Order Shutting Down Private Schools on Govt Land in Kashmir

  • Load More
Newsletter
About us
Grievance Redressal Mechanism