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The Himachal Pradesh Road Transport Corporation (HRTC) Employees Union on Wednesday held gate meetings and protests in Shimla, demanding immediate release of pending salaries and wages and warning of a work boycott if salaries are not paid on time every month.
Addressing the employees during a protest, HRTC Employees Union State President Mansingh Thakur alleged that salaries had not been disbursed in most HRTC units despite repeated assurances from the corporation management. Thakur said that barring a few depots, employees in nearly 28 depots across Himachal Pradesh had not received their salaries till Wednesday. He said drivers, conductors and mechanics working in remote areas were facing severe financial hardship due to the delay. "We had asked the management to release salaries by Tuesday evening. Employees are finding it difficult even to manage daily expenses and food while on duty," he said. Warning of intensified agitation, Thakur said the union had issued a fresh notice demanding that salaries be paid by the first or second day of every month. "If salaries are not credited on time by the first of every month, HRTC employees, including drivers, conductors and mechanics, will stop work after the 2nd of every month until payments are made," he warned. He appealed to employees not to be influenced by what he termed as 'divisive leadership' and instead unite for their collective future and financial security. The union leader said nearly 12,000 HRTC employees and around 7,000 to 8,000 pensioners were dependent on the corporation, affecting nearly 20,000 families across the state. He maintained that while Himachal Pradesh was facing a financial crisis, employees of other government departments were receiving salaries on time, whereas HRTC workers continued to suffer delays. Thakur further stated that HRTC had historically depended on government grants since its establishment in 1974, adding that the corporation's revenue was insufficient to meet its expenditure burden due to subsidised and free travel schemes for women, school children, senior citizens and persons with disabilities. He alleged that employees were unfairly blamed for the corporation's financial losses despite continuing to perform duties under difficult conditions. "When employees are expected to work honestly and sincerely, they should also receive their rightful salaries on time," he said. The union warned that if the issue remained unresolved, protests and work stoppages could intensify in the coming months. (ANI)
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