The Tribune, Chandigarh, India

NEWS AND VIEWS

PUNJAB

HARYANA

JAMMU & KASHMIR

HIMACHAL

REGIONAL BRIEFS

NATION

OPINIONS

LETTERS

BUSINESS

SPORTS

WORLD

SPECIAL COVERAGE

CHANDIGARH

LUDHIANA

DELHI

THE TRIBUNE SPECIALS

50 YEARS OF INDEPENDENCE

TERCENTENARY CELEBRATIONS

M A I N N E W S

Haryana buses back, but other services hit
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 21
Essential services of power and water supply were partially disrupted in Haryana as members of 128 employees unions began a 72-hour strike to press for their demands today. The state government has decided to enforce “no work no pay” rule to force employees report back on duty.

Employees are agitating under the umbrella of the Haryana Employees’ Coordination Committee. They are demanding regularisation of the contractual staff, similar pay for similar work, scrapping of work outsourcing policy, cashless medical facility and filling of two lakh vacancies in different departments.

Meanwhile, a day after proceeding on a strike, members of various Haryana Roadways unions returned to work following a compromise with the government late last night.

The impact of the strike that began today was felt across all departments. Power blackouts were reported from many parts of the state, water supply was disrupted and health services were crippled in government hospitals.

General secretary of the coordination committee Subhash Lamba said the impact of the strike was “near total” as universities across the state remained closed and 30,000 employees of the electricity department supported them along with employees working in the directorates of health, irrigation, public health, revenue etc.

“The government has tried to hit at our solidarity by holding talks with roadways employees. However, we found support in the union headed by Sarbat Singh Punia who was rounded up in Fatehabad along with 10 others. Another 150 employees were rounded up in Bhiwani for participating in the strike. Despite the compromise, buses from some depots began plying only around noon,” he claimed.

Meanwhile, in talks with five of the six roadways employees unions in Chandigarh last night, Haryana PWD and Industry Minister Randeep Singh Surjewala and Transport Minister Aftab Ahmed managed to persuade them to call off the strike.

While the unions agreed to call off the strike and resume plying of buses, the government agreed to regularise 8,200 drivers and conductors appointed after January 1, 2003.