Metro Bus and Orange Line Train staff stopped working on Tuesday in protest of not getting paid for the last two months. According to a media report, around 2,000 janitorial and security staff members of the Punjab Mass Transit Authority (PMTA) went on a strike against the delay.
PMTA had detailed these staff members to Metro Bus Service and Orange Line Metro Train (OLMT). According to reports, the Punjab government was to issue Rs. 150 million funding, which it never did, causing a delay in payouts.
The staff members refused to do their respective jobs and held sit-ins at various stations in protest, which caused garbage to pile up at the stations, buses, and trains.
The employees said that PMTA’s negligence has caused severe problems for them and their families. They added that their appeals have fallen on deaf ears, which is why they have gone on strike, and that they will call it off once they get paid.
PMTA General Manager Operations Uzair Shah told the media that the department will pay the salaries as soon as the government releases the three-month funds. He claimed that government plans to release the grant in the next few days so that the employees can get their salaries before Eid.