Hoshiarpur, February 11 Bus services across Punjab were disrupted on Wednesday as over 8,000 contractual employees of state-run transport undertakings, including Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC, went on strike.
The employees are protesting against the detention of several union members who were apprehended during a demonstration in November. They are also opposing the privatization of bus services through the "kilometer scheme".
A meeting held in Chandigarh between union representatives and the state transport secretary ended without a resolution.
A union representative stated that the government had assured the release of the detained workers, but failed to keep its promise.
The protesters announced that they would stage a sit-in outside the Chief Minister's residence in Sangrur on Thursday. Their demands include the regularisation of contractual staff, the implementation of "equal pay for equal work", the end of the contract system, and the reinstatement of dismissed workers.
The strike, called by the Punjab Roadways-PUNBUS Workers Union, caused hardship for commuters. In Hoshiarpur, 76 buses remained stationed at the depot, impacting services to Pathankot, Tanda, Batala, Amritsar, Shimla, and Chandigarh. Services to Delhi via Volvo were also affected.
Passengers at various bus stands were forced to rely on private transport. Some students from I K Gujral Technical College, who had traveled from Dasuya and Mukerian in the morning, found themselves stranded during their return journey.
Union president Raminder Singh stated that the protest outside the Chief Minister's residence in Sangrur would take place on Thursday. He warned that the union would intensify its agitation if the government does not address their demands and stop the privatization policies.