Mohali, August 3: Bus services across multiple depots in Punjab faced severe operational disruptions on Monday as contractual staff under Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and the PRTC launched an indefinite statewide strike. The protest has severely impacted morning travel for workers, students, and regular passengers throughout the region, with the full scale of the disruption becoming increasingly visible across key transport hubs.
The primary points of contention involve structural employment policies and the continuation of third-party outsourcing within public transport operations. Staff members are advocating for permanent service status for contractual workers with twelve years of service, as well as the transition of long-term outsourced staff into direct departmental contracts.
Explaining the rationale behind the protest, Union State President Resham Singh Gill declared that workers felt compelled to act after successive negotiations yielded no binding progress. He noted that despite receiving repeated verbal assurances from transport authorities, including during formal talks held on Thursday, no official government notification was issued. Therefore, the union proceeded with its planned shutdown from midnight.
In addition to job regularisation, the organisation maintains that legal cases registered against members following the November demonstrations over the kilometre scheme must be formally withdrawn.
Union representatives declared that their future course of action depends entirely on the outcome of a scheduled morning meeting with Transport Minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Resham Singh Gill maintained that if the administration fails to provide clear written commitments regarding their legitimate demands, the statewide service stoppage will continue indefinitely, complemented by a hunger strike during the ongoing legislative session.
