Jalandhar, July 28 — Contractual employees of Punjab’s State Transport Undertakings (STUs), including Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC), Punjab Roadways, and PUNBUS, have warned of a statewide bus strike if their long-pending demands are not addressed in a meeting scheduled today with Transport Minister Laljit Bhullar and senior department officials.
The meeting comes in response to escalating unrest among nearly 8,200 contractual and outsourced staff, who have been demanding regularisation of services, better wages, and job security for over a decade.
“We’ve had enough of broken promises. The government assured us of a solution in 2017 and again in 2022, but nothing concrete has happened,” said Shamsher Singh, state general secretary of the contractual employees’ union. “We’re attending today’s meeting with hope, but if our demands are again ignored, services will be suspended statewide.”
Earlier this month, the employees had called for a three-day strike starting July 9, which was temporarily postponed after the government agreed to hold negotiations on July 28.
The union’s key demands include:
- Regularisation of all contractual employees
- 5% annual wage increment
- Reinstatement of suspended workers
- An end to outsourcing and blacklisting practices
- Crackdown on the private bus mafia operating outside official bus stands
- Clearing of pending government dues related to women’s free travel scheme
- Expansion of the government-run bus fleet
According to union leaders, contractual conductors currently earn ₹17,000 per month, while drivers make ₹18,000, with no job security or pension benefits.
“We’ve served loyally for years, and all we’re asking for is dignity and fair treatment,” Singh said.
With public transportation across Punjab potentially grinding to a halt, all eyes are now on today’s meeting between the employees and the government.
