The ongoing Haryana Roadways strike is all set to culminate into a face-off between the State government and its employees across different departments, with more than 100 unions affiliated to the Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh extending support to the agitation and gearing up for mass leave later this week.
The strike, the longest roadways agitation so far, entered its eighth day on Tuesday.
Several trade unions have also come out in support of the Roadways employees, who are on strike since October 16. Among other issues, the protesters have been seeking withdrawal of the Haryana government’s decision to hire 720 buses from private transporters.
Haryana Sarv Karamchari Sangh general secretary Subhash Lamba alleged the BJP government in the State had failed to fulfil the promises made to government employees and workers in its manifesto during the past four years, fuelling widespread resentment.
“The BJP had promised to regularise workers, eliminate contract system and fix minimum wages at ₹15,000 per month before the polls but it failed to keep any of its promises,” said Mr. Lamba.
On the contrary, he said, the government expedited outsourcing in all its departments and recruitments against sanctioned posts were also made through contractors. He claimed only 31,000 youth have been given government jobs against the promise to provide employment to two lakh people every year.
Mr. Lamba said the government had also failed to defend the Congress government’s Regularisation Policy, 2014, in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, rendering 5,000 people unregularised. He said the government had promised to bring a legislation in the Assembly in this regard but went back on its word later.
“This is the sixth strike by Roadways employees since this government came to power. Besides Roadways employees, municipal employees, guest teachers, computer teachers, ASHA workers and National Health Mission workers have also gone on strike on different occasions. The government makes promises to striking employees but does not keep them. It has caused credibility deficit and forced all unions to support the Haryana Roadways employees,” said Mr. Lamba.
Haryana Roadways Workers’ Union deputy general-secretary Ram Asarey Yadav said hiring of private buses will mark the beginning of the end of State Roadways.
“Haryana Roadways is short of nearly 15,000 buses. It can provide employment to 90,000 youth in the State but the government is hell-bent on hiring buses from private transporters to benefit its own people. The claims of the government that Haryana Roadways is making losses are false,” he said.
Centre of Indian Trade Unions Haryana president Satbir Singh said the government resorting to force to suppress the agitation by Haryana Roadways employees had only made them unite against the State government.
“The arrests, detentions and suspensions of Roadways employees are being seen as an attack on the employees’ fraternity,” said Mr. Singh, adding that even students and villagers are now coming out in support of the employees and the agitation could soon snowball into a huge Statewide movement.
