Patiala: The Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union on Wednesday extended its statewide strike indefinitely after talks with a cabinet minister in Chandigarh ended without resolution, disrupting public bus services across Punjab.The union said the strike would continue until official notifications were issued to implement its demands. These include regularising contractual employees under framed service rules, shifting outsourced workers to direct departmental contracts and withdrawing police cases against employees involved in earlier protests.The union announced a joint demonstration with Theka Mulazam Sangharsh Morcha in Dirba, the constituency of transport and finance minister Harpal Singh Cheema. Employees said they will now stage protests at depot gates across Punjab.Workers from all 27 depots and two sub-depots plan to assemble in Mohali and march towards Punjab Vidhan Sabha and chief minister’s official residence. The union appealed to farmer, labour and student organisations to support the agitation.Union representatives alleged that several govt buses remained grounded because of an acute shortage of spare parts and tyres. They also criticised PRTC management for issuing show-cause and termination warning notices to striking employees, saying senior authorities would be held accountable if workers faced harassment or distress.However, PRTC GM Operations A S Tiwana disputed claims that services had been completely paralysed, saying more than 800 buses from the corporation’s 1,250-strong fleet operated during the day. Tiwana said management had already sent higher state authorities a formal proposal a week ago to place about 1,719 outsourced employees on contractual terms under legislation recently enacted by Punjab govt.Union general secretary Shamsher Singh said proposals to absorb frontline transport workers remained pending despite clearance from transport managements. He said Punjab Roadways had forwarded a proposal covering about 1,400 outsourced employees, while PRTC had submitted documents for more than 1,700 workers under legislation enacted on Aug 10.Singh said govt had issued a letter on Sept 21, setting a one-month deadline to complete the process of shifting workers from outsourcing agencies to direct contracts, but the deadline passed without implementation. He said a proposal to cancel cases against protesting employees had earlier been sent to Punjab director general of police. Although all workers had secured bail, govt had not begun further proceedings to withdraw the cases, he added.
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