Contractual employees of Punjab Roadways, PRTC call off strike after meeting with transport minister

Chandigarh: Contractual employees of the Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation on Wednesday called off their strike following a meeting with the state's transport minister.

During the meeting with Laljit Singh Bhullar here, a delegation of employees was assured that they would get a hike in their pay, the protesting employees said.

The contractual employees of the Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transportation Corporation (PRTC) were protesting to press for their various demands, including an increase in salaries.

Earlier in the day, the employees went on an indefinite strike to press the state government to accept their demands.

The strike left many passengers stranded at various bus stands, including Fazilka, Ludhiana, Moga, Hoshiarpur and Kapurthala.

Baljit Singh, vice-president of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers' Union, said the protest was against the non-implementation of the promised five-per cent annual increase in salaries and other demands.

Singh said that they were assured a pay hike during the meeting with Minister Bhullar.

The contractual employees will also hold a meeting with Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on September 29 during which they will raise the demand for regularisation of their services, he added.

Around 2,500 Punjab Roadways and PRTC buses stayed off the roads in view of the strike. Around 7,000 contractual workers took part in the strike and only regular employees of the state-owned transport undertaking joined work, according to Singh.

Unaware of the strike call, passengers faced inconvenience in many parts of the state.

"I have been waiting for a state-owned bus to Amritsar for more than half an hour," said a woman at the Ludhiana bus stand.

At Hoshiarpur bus stand, Jagjit Kaur (72) could not get a state-owned bus to Ludhiana.

Women, who generally prefer state-owned buses because of the free travel scheme, were forced to take private vehicles.

The striking employees held protests at all 27 bus depots in the state.