Haryana Roadways Workers Call for Strike Against Privatisation

Haryana Roadways workers have called for a two-day strike on October 16 and 17, and has condemned the “vindictive and repressive” actions of the BJP-led Haryana government and the management of Haryana Roadways.

To foil the strike, the government has imposed the Essential Services Maintenance Act, and has suspended around 250 workers and sealing of union offices of AIRTWF, AITUC, INTUC in some places like Faridabad, according to a statement by the All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation.

“The state government has been making attempts at handing over the entire passenger transportation to private operators. As the first step for privatisation, the government has unilaterally taken the decision to introduce as many as 720 private buses, which will be hired on kilometer basis, betraying its assurance that the unions will be taken into confidence before adopting a new policy,” the federation said.

In fact, the state government’s “repressive decisions” had led to a strike in September as well. However, on August 30, the government ESMA for a period of six months, and more than 250 Haryana Roadways workers and union leaders have been suspended since then.

The offices of various workers’ unions, like All India Road Transport Workers’ Federation (AIRTWF), All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), Indian National Trade Union Congress (INTUC) have been sealed in a number of places, including Faridabad, the federation said.

The Haryana government has also decided to issue permits to private bus operators in 3.600 routes. “The workers’ unions have been struggling against the oppressive decisions, but ESMA is unfairly being used as a weapon by the government to kill the protests. The union leaders are not being sanctioned leaves, and restrictions have been imposed on the working conditions” said the federation, adding that this will not stop workers from protesting.

“This time, to give a befitting reply to the government, Haryana Roadways workers have called for a strike demanding the government to put an end to the vindictive actions, withdraw the scheme to hire private buses, and asking the management to take the unions into confidence before taking any decisions,” the federations said..