23 April 2025 : Contractual workers of the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) have announced a two-hour shutdown from 10 am to 12 pm on April 24 across all nine PRTC depots in Punjab. The affected depots include Ludhiana, Barnala, Bathinda, Faridkot, Kapurthala, Budhlada, Patiala, Sangrur, Patiala head office and Chandigarh.
The workers are protesting the delayed payment of their salaries, having received only 50% of their wages for the previous month, with no clear indication of when the remaining amount will be released. They have warned that if the pending salaries are not cleared promptly, they will suspend all bus services originating from PRTC depots.
The shutdown is being organised by the Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC contractual workers’ union.
Harkesh Kumar Vicky, state vice president of the union, said that while transport is a revenue-generating department, employees are being pushed into financial hardship. “Around 3,000 workers across the state are facing withheld salaries, blaming the non-release of funds for the government’s free travel scheme,” he said.
Union members also criticised the government’s promotion of private operators through the kilometre scheme while neglecting the maintenance of departmental buses. They called for a fairer distribution of resources, arguing that workers who ensure the smooth running of services should not bear the burden of such delays.
The workers have warned that further disruptions will occur if their dues are not settled before April 24.
Bikramjit Singh Shergill, managing director of PRTC, has said that the remaining salaries would be cleared by Wednesday.
Summary: PRTC and Punbus contractual staff in Punjab plan a two-hour strike on Thursday, protesting delayed March salaries and demanding job regularization and timely payments.