Haryana rolls back termination of roadways’ staff after protest

Haryana Roadways’ workers across the state breathed a sigh of relief after the state transport minister, Krishan Lal Panwar, announced on Tuesday that the government would not be terminating their services. The rollback will keep at least 450 bus drivers, clerks and depot staff in employment.

The development comes after days of protests by union workers against the last Thursday’s announcement that all roadways employees hired through the organisation’s outsourcing policy be relieved of their services.
An order to this effect, dated May 23, instructed all general managers of Haryana Roadways to immediately terminate the employment of all outsourced staff, including drivers, conductors, clerks and mechanics, “as unnecessary wages are being paid to such employees despite availability of regular staff of these cadres”. In Gurugram itself, the termination order threatened the employment of 58 people working at the city’s only interstate bus stand in Sector 10.
Sandeep Dalal, a union worker associated with the Indian National Trade Union Congress, expressed relief at the government’s decision to roll back the order. “The order would not have just put several hundreds people out of job, it would have also resulted in widespread changes in various bus routes, as the roadways relies heavily on outsourced drivers.” 
This is the second time in less than six months that the Haryana Roadways has moved to terminate employees en masse. In December, 250 drivers across the state were fired by the roadways, citing its outsourcing policy that allows employees to be outsourced for a period of just one year.

First Published:
May 30, 2019 01:52 IST

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