E-Paper
Ludhiana: Contractual workers’ strike leaves commuters in lurch for second day
The strike, called under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union, began Wednesday afternoon
Government bus services in Ludhiana remained severely disrupted for the second consecutive day on Thursday as a statewide strike by contractual workers of Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC crippled operations, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. The protest marked the eleventh such disruption in the past six months.
The strike, called under the banner of the Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers Union, began Wednesday afternoon. The workers are demanding release of their jailed colleagues and regularisation of services.
Although buses driven by regular employees continued to ply, officials said nearly 90% of drivers and conductors in these departments are engaged on a contractual or outsourced basis, resulting in an immediate and widespread impact. With a majority of buses off the roads, routine travel came to a near halt and passengers were forced to rely on overcrowded and expensive private alternatives.
Long-distance routes were the worst hit, with several services to Delhi, Jaipur, Jammu and Manikaran suspended. Key intercity routes including Amritsar, Chandigarh, Bathinda, Ferozepur and Sangrur also witnessed sharp cuts in frequency.
At the Ludhiana Interstate Bus Terminal, passengers waited for hours amid uncertainty.
Ravinder Singh, a factory worker from Samrala, said he reached the bus stand at 7 am but found no government bus. “Private buses were packed and charging extra. We lose a day’s wage every time there is a strike,” he said.
Simranjeet Kaur, a college student travelling to Chandigarh, said exam schedules were being disrupted. “There is no prior information and no alternative arrangement. We are left helpless,” she said.
Meanwhile, union leaders alleged that around 10 leaders from depots in Ferozepur, Fazilka, Moga, Jalandhar and Muktsar were detained on Thursday ahead of a planned protest in Sangrur. Parveen Kumar, the union’s Ludhiana general secretary, termed the detentions an attempt to “intimidate” workers.
Later in the evening, the strike was called off around 4 pm oafter talks with state transport authorities. Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary of the union, said management assured reinstatement of suspended employees, cooperation in securing release of jailed colleagues and early resolution of pending demands.
Navraj Batish, general manager, Punjab Roadways, said only about 28% of operations were maintained during the strike, with priority given to monopoly routes.
Repeated strikes and diversion of buses for state-level events in recent months have further strained public ransport services across Punjab.
