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Ludhiana: PRTC contract staff warn of protest if demands not met
The announcement was made during a press conference held in Ludhiana on Sunday by union leaders Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary, and Jagtar Singh, state joint secretary
Amid mounting frustration over the state government’s alleged inaction, the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers Union has warned of an indefinite strike from July 29, threatening to halt all bus operations across the state if their long-pending demands are not met by July 28.
The announcement was made during a press conference held in Ludhiana on Sunday by union leaders Shamsher Singh Dhillon, state general secretary, and Jagtar Singh, state joint secretary. During this, the leaders expressed deep resentment over what they called repeated delays, empty assurances, and incomplete follow-ups on promises made by the Punjab government.
Voicing his frustration, Jagtar Singh said, “If our demands are not resolved by July 28, bus services will be suspended indefinitely from July 29. Protests will be held at the CM’s residence, and an intense state-wide agitation will follow.”
Shamsher Singh Dhillon said,“The CM himself had issued directions to resolve our demands in a meeting held on July 1, 2024 in Jalandhar. A high-level committee was also formed to frame a policy on regularising contractual workers, eliminating exploitative service conditions, ensuring equal pay, and inducting new buses. But nothing concrete has materialised even after repeated meetings and written assurances.”
Additionally, union leaders alleged that the July 16 meeting promised by transport minister Laljit Singh Bhullar followed by a statewide strike on July 9, never took place, and even the July 21 discussion with the state transport secretary yielded no breakthrough. The government is buying time, not giving solutions,” they said.
Accusing contractors of exploiting workers, the union cited irregular recruitments allegedly made in exchange for bribes and termed the current work conditions as exploitative. They also claimed that on June 30, 2023, government orders mandating reinstatement of employees had also not been implemented, adding to the resentment.
