Roadways staff protest conductor’s suspension

Jalandhar, November 12

Members of the Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union shut down the bus stand here for two hours, from 10am to 12pm, on Saturday. The union members staged a protest against the state government, demanding the reinstatement of a Batala depot conductor who was suspended on November 9.

Daljit Singh Jallewal, the vice-president of the union, explained, “On November 9, an inspector of checking staff conducted a check on a Punbus bus en route from Batala to Chandigarh in Ropar. A bus passenger was travelling without a ticket. He was fined ten times the amount which is supposed to be paid in fine for traveling without a ticket. The inspector also ordered the suspension of the bus conductor.”

Jallewal also accused the director of the State Transport Department of adopting an anti-employee attitude. He alleged that inspectors of the checking staff have been harassing the roadways staff.

Jallewal further stressed, “We have a video of the passenger himself admitting that the conductor was not at fault. Still, the inspector did not bother to conduct an inquiry. He simply suspended the conductor.”

The union members also noted that the suspended conductor has been protesting atop a water tank in Batala for the last three days, but the officials concerned are not willing to pay heed to what he has to say. The members further alleged that many employees are being transferred these days, which they say is an attempt to push them to quit their jobs.

The union members have warned that if the suspended conductor is not reinstated, they will be holding a massive protest at PAP Chowk in Jalandhar on Sunday.