Ludhiana: Roadways’ contractual employees protest, demand regularisation

Punjab Roadways contractual employees took out a gate rally at the bus stand here to press their demand of regularisation.

Punjab Roadways PUNBUS State Transport Workers’ Union led the protest rallies and alleged that government did not keep its promise of regularising the contractual workers.

“The (present) government had made big promises when it came to power, such as regularisation of contractual employees, removing the contractual system, making fixed recruitments, but it did not fulfil a single promise made to the employees,” the union said in a release.

Union president, Ludhiana depot, Parminder Singh said, “Our rally here is part of a statewide action where in all gate rallies were held at all the 18 roadways’ depots.”

“We have held meetings time and again with the transport minister and roadways management, but all they do is ask for time,” he added.

One of the main issues that the union is focusing on is direct salaries from the state treasury. As of now only the regular employees, who make up a minority of the total workforce, get direct salaries. Contractual employees are paid by PUNBUS, a subsidiary of the roadways, or the outsourcing companies who hire them.

Singh claimed that a head for direct salaries was made some time ago, but it was still not used to disburse their salaries.

“They made that head for direct salaries but now they say that the process takes time every time we meet them (referring to the management),” added Singh.

Director Punjab Roadways, Gurpreet Singh Khaira, said the employees’ main demand was to regularise them. “That is a long process. There are many formalities and processes that have to be taken into account for that. If we go about it without the due process, it will only create more problems,” he said.

“The salaries can only be credited directly from the treasury when they are first regularised as employees of the government,” Khaira added.