In a massive development, Punjab Government on Saturday suspended all Roadways employees involved in protest against Kilometre Scheme. The department has sent an email to all temporary employees informing them of the action.
The email states that the employees caused financial loss to the government by participating in an illegal strike. A fine has been imposed for not operating buses on the route, and all the employees involved have been suspended from service with immediate effect.
The letter sent regarding the suspension of the four employees states that they have harassed people traveling on government buses in Punjab. Due to the strike, people faced difficulties in commuting. Therefore, action is being taken against them.
The strike organized by temporary roadways employees is illegal. "You are informed that on November 28, 2025, hundreds of buses from various depots did not operate due to the illegal strike. This resulted in a financial loss of Rs 9,520 per bus per day due to bus fares, overtime, wages, etc. The department incurred a financial loss of Rs 11,939 per bus in two days."
The letter further states that the Transport Department issued a notice on November 28, instructing them to report for duty immediately. However, they remained absent from their duty routes on November 29 as well, resulting in a missed duty of 301 kilometers per bus.
In this situation, Condition 15 of the agreement between the department and contractual employees has been violated. Therefore, the employees are being terminated for causing financial loss and participating in an illegal strike.
For the unversed, contractual employees of Punjab Roadways and the Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) went on strike. The Roadways staff are demanding the rollback of Kilometer Scheme, release of their detained union leaders, and regularization of employees on contract.
It is pertinent to mention here that roadways protest in Punjab on Friday also turned tensed in some districts. For example, the protest in Sangrur turned bizarre when a protesting employee allegedly attempted to burn himself by pouring petrol on himself. In an effort to stop him, the SHO of Dhuri sustained burn injuries. The officer was rushed to the hospital for treatment. A video of the incident has also surfaced.
