Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC contractual employees have announced a three-day strike
July 24, 2026: Contractual employees of Punjab Roadways, Punbus, and PRTC on Friday announced a three-day statewide strike from August 3 to August 5, demanding the regularisation of their services and resolution of other long-pending issues. The Punjab Roadways, Punbus and PRTC Contract Workers’ Union accused the AAP government of failing to act despite holding nearly 70 meetings over the past four years. The union also announced that protest rallies would be organised at transport depots across Punjab on July 27 and warned of a dharna outside Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s residence if their demands remain unaddressed.
Union president Resham Singh Gill said the AAP had promised to regularise contractual employees, abolish the contract system and ensure full salaries before coming to power but had failed to deliver. He added that although a government sub-committee was formed to address their concerns, it had made no meaningful progress even after four years. The union also criticised the government’s transport policy, alleging that it was encouraging privatisation through the kilometre scheme instead of strengthening the state-run transport system.
General Secretary Shamsher Singh Dhillon and Vice-President Harkesh Kumar Vicky claimed that hundreds of government buses, including ordinary and Volvo services, remain off the roads because of shortages of spare parts, tyres and batteries, while private buses continue to receive preference. They alleged that nearly 800 government buses had become unserviceable during the current government’s tenure and pointed out that the promised procurement of 696 new buses has yet to materialise. The union further said the government had sought 10 days in June to prepare a policy on regularisation but had failed to take any concrete action.