Haryana Roadways strike disrupts bus services across districts, unions warn of statewide blockade

Bus services across several parts of Haryana remained severely affected on Monday as roadways employees continued their agitation over pending payments and allowances, leaving thousands of commuters stranded. Operations were disrupted in Hisar, Hansi and Sirsa, while employees at Rohtak staged a solidarity protest.

With negotiations between the employees and the management failing to produce a breakthrough, roadways unions have warned of a statewide ‘chakka jam’ on November 5 and 6. They said the blockade could be extended indefinitely if the government does not address their demands.

The employees are seeking clearance of outstanding overtime payments, night duty allowances, leave travel concession (LTC), travel allowance (TA) bills and medical reimbursements. They have also objected to delays in settling claims despite repeated representations to the authorities.

Hisar loses ₹18 lakh in daily revenue as strike enters third day

In Hisar, the agitation entered its third consecutive day, bringing bus operations to a standstill and causing an estimated daily revenue loss of ₹18 lakh. More than 30,000 passengers rely on the depot's services every day.

Commuters travelling on rural and local routes, particularly those connecting Hansi, Uklana and Adampur, faced considerable inconvenience. Private bus and auto operators were also accused of charging higher fares amid the shortage of public transport.

The disruption extended to city e-bus services, with around 50 buses remaining off the roads. Efforts by depot general manager Rahul Mittal and traffic manager Preetam Siwach to resolve the dispute through discussions with union representatives failed to yield results. Employees maintained that they would not call off the protest without a written and concrete assurance on their demands.

Some workers at the Hisar depot are reportedly awaiting between ₹90,000 and ₹1.5 lakh each in pending overtime and night duty payments.

Hansi employees cite pending bills dating back to 2023

At Hansi, all 72 buses remained off the roads for the third successive day. Employees affiliated with the Haryana Roadways Joint Struggle Committee staged a protest at the depot and raised slogans against the government and officials.

Committee member Manjeet Sorkhi said employees were awaiting clearance of travel allowance bills for 2023 and 2024, 13 medical bills, LTC claims and overtime dues pending since April. He said memorandums had been submitted to the authorities since September, but the grievances had not been addressed.

The protesters also rejected a communication from the general manager claiming that payments for December 2025 and outstanding overtime dues had been cleared. They alleged that most employees had yet to receive the money.

Sirsa services hit, management promises payment within two days

In Sirsa, more than 100 buses remained off the roads as members of the Roadways Karmachari Sajha Morcha staged a dharna at the bus stand. Services to Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurugram, Pokaran and Hanumangarh, along with several local routes, were disrupted.

The Dabwali depot also remained shut after its employees joined the agitation. The disruption affected passengers, including school and college students who depend on the bus services.

Morcha representative Chiman Lal Swami said a delegation had met the Sirsa general manager to discuss the pending payments. However, employees rejected the management's assurance that the dues would be cleared by December 2, maintaining that the matter required an immediate resolution.

The protesters reiterated their demands for overtime payments, night duty allowances, LTC, pending TA bills and medical reimbursements. They also said kilometre-scheme buses would remain off the roads and that employees engaged through the Haryana Kaushal Rojgar Nigam were supporting the agitation.

Sirsa Roadways general manager Ajay Dalal said the management had again invited the employees' negotiation committee for talks to find an amicable solution. He acknowledged that employees had raised concerns over daily and medical allowances pending for three to four years, as well as some TA bills relating to 2024-25 that had been forwarded to the headquarters for approval.

Dalal said senior officials had assured him that the necessary approval would be obtained and the budget released. He added that once the funds were received, the depot would need only two hours to process the payments.

“We have assured the employees that their dues will be cleared within a maximum of one or two days,” he said.

Rohtak employees warn of wider protest

Meanwhile, employees at the Rohtak depot staged a symbolic one-hour protest in support of their colleagues in Hisar, Hansi and Sirsa. Members of the Roadways Employees Joint Front demanded that the government resolve the outstanding issues without further delay.

Union representative Suresh Nehra said employees at Hisar had been protesting since October 31. He warned that any action against protesting workers in Hisar or Sirsa would prompt employees in Rohtak to shut the depot gates and join the strike.

Nehra said the transport minister had sought a month's time to address the demands during discussions on September 8, but more than a month and a half had passed without a resolution.

The unions have warned that the agitation could spread to additional depots across Haryana if the government fails to clear the pending payments and address the employees' grievances. The proposed statewide blockade on November 5 and 6 could further disrupt public transport across the state.