Punjab employees’ strike disrupts bus services, threatens govt work

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4 lakh staffers take mass casual leave on October 21 and 22 over pending demands as contractual Roadways, PRTC staff halt operations

Chandigarh/Patiala: Around four lakh government employees in Punjab are observing a two-day strike on October 21 and 22 over pending demands, while contractual workers of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) have halted bus operations, inconveniencing commuters across the state.

Sukhchain Singh Virk, head of the Sanjha Mulazam Front, said employees would take mass casual leave on both days and stay away from official duties during the Punjab Assembly session on October 22.

The unions rejected a meeting scheduled by the government for October 21, alleging that commitments made during a high-level meeting with the Chief Minister on September 18 had not been fulfilled. Employee representatives said the government had promised another meeting in the first week of October and the release of minutes of the previous one.

They also questioned the proposed meeting’s agenda and the selection of representatives.

The employees’ demands include full implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, removal of anomalies in the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations, regularisation of contractual and outsourced workers, payment of pending dearness allowance instalments and arrears, abolition of the three-year probation period for new recruits and a halt to the elimination of vacant government posts.

Meanwhile, contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the PRTC staged demonstrations at bus stations and stopped operations from Wednesday morning.

The workers said the government had agreed to regularise them during earlier meetings but alleged that no concrete action had followed, prompting the latest protest.

The disruption has inconvenienced passengers travelling across the state. The extent of the impact on individual routes, however, could not be independently confirmed.

Further, the strike could delay the processing of certificates, official documents, pension applications and other administrative work. However, there was no confirmation that all government offices or public services would remain closed.

The Sanjha Mulazam Front warned that disciplinary action against participating employees could trigger a wider agitation across Punjab.