Punjab Roadways Contract Workers Union strike ends after CM Bhagwant Mann promises talks

August 17, 2025

Amritsar, August 17: Punjab Roadways, PUNBUS and PRTC Contract Workers Union have announced to suspend their indefinite strike for the time being. After which, from today, Sunday, all government buses have come on the roads smoothly. The union took this decision after the Transport Minister and CM Bhagwant Mann gave time for the meeting.

According to the statement issued by the union, in the meeting held with the Chief Secretary of Punjab on August 15, 2025, serious discussions were held on all the demands including regularization of temporary employees, abolition of the contract system, direct contract of employees, salary hike, purchase of new buses.

It was decided in the meeting that a meeting will be held on August 19 under the chairmanship of the Transport Minister and a panel meeting will be held with the Chief Minister of Punjab on August 26. In this, the policy being prepared was discussed and assurance was given to implement it and fulfill all the demands. The written order of the meeting reached the union late on Saturday night. After which the union decided to postpone the strike.

The union is against the contract system

On behalf of the Punjab Government, orders have been issued to the Secretary State Transport for making and implementing service rules of the employees, resolving issues related to the contract system and salary hike.

The union says that earlier it was promised that the issues related to stopping the kilometer scheme buses and reinstatement of contract employees would be resolved in 15 days, but the deadline was changed to one month. Now a new deadline of three weeks has been set to fulfill these demands.

Warning to the government, officers should not harass anyone

The union has clarified that the strike has been postponed in view of the concrete assurance of implementing the demands. However, a warning has also been given that if any employee is stopped by the management while joining duty or any kind of problem is created, then a statewide protest and Punjab Bandh will be announced immediately.