Himachal transport employees on ‘indefinite’ strike

Over 3,000 buses stayed off the roads in Himachal Pradesh on Saturday as drivers and conductors went on indefinite strike for their demands. The Himachal Pradesh Transport Corporation (HRTC) bus drivers and conductors started a state-wide strike for the demand of their pending dues with the Corporation.

HRTC employees’ union president Manoj Sharma said, “The trigger for this strike has been the transfer of our regional manager to Nerwa. We have been demanding night allowance, overtime allowance, dearness allowance of 8%, and clearance of arrears for several months now. But instead of fulfilling our demands, the government is trying to humiliate honest officers, following pressure from private bus operators.”

To mark our protests, we have given a strike call all across the state, Sharma said. The strike will continue until our demands are fulfilled, he added.

Meanwhile, the commuters are facing problems as the buses of HRTC are held off, and passengers are dependent only on private fleet or taxi services.

Over eight thousand employees of transport corporation, which include the maximum number of drivers and conductors and a fleet of over 3100 buses on about 200 routes were off duty. Employees adamant about canceling the transfer have threatened an indefinite strike.Protestors also demand to bring the daily paid worker on a contract, and furthermore, payment of medical allowances and delayed salaries have also triggered the anger of the HRTC employees.