Tuesday, 31 January 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
Roadways employees withdrew the decision to start an indefinite strike from the midnight of January 31 after the fourth meeting with the officials of the Transport department regarding their demands on Monday. Several transport unions had come together and constituted a joint front called Uttarakhand Roadways Sanyukt Morcha (URSM) to keep their 13-points demands in solidarity before the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation (UTC). The protesting employees had two main points- regularisation of eligible employees and purchase of at least 500 buses for roadways on which detailed discussion occurred on Monday in the meeting headed by managing director of UTC, Rohit Meena.
The officials stated in the meeting that there is no guideline at present that allows the regularisation of outsourced employees in roadways but the corporation will present the proposal for necessary improvement and rationalisation of remuneration rates of the employees in the next meeting of the board of directors. Regarding the purchasing of new buses, the officials said that the corporation has started the process of buying 100 new buses for now considering the poor financial condition of UTC. However, they added that they have prepared an action plan to purchase new buses regularly every month which will be presented in the next board meeting for approval.
The UTC plans to buy at least 800 new buses, as per the officials. The officials stated that new employees will be outsourced only as per the requirement and the corporation would also consider increasing the posts for promotion too. The officials also clarified that the department has sent a proposal to provide regular appointments to the dependents of deceased UTC employees on compassionate grounds and further action would be taken only after the government’s approval.The officials also revealed that five buses, which are currently being operated under the royalty scheme of the corporation for trial, will not be operated after January 31.
However, UTC will compare the performances of these buses with buses being operated under contract scheme to know which works best in the interest of the corporation. The member of URSM Ashok Chaudhary said that the officials have assured them that work on these points will be started soon.He said that they are presently satisfied with UTC’s assurance considering which they have decided to call off their indefinite strike which was scheduled to commence from midnight of January 31.
