A strike by PRTC contract workers on Thursday disrupted bus services across Punjab, causing inconvenience to thousands of commuters, particularly women travelling under the state government's free bus travel scheme.

The strike was launched at the call of the union's state leader, Harkesh Vicky of Patiala, over pending demands, including the reinstatement of the union's state president, Gurinder Singh Guri, whose dismissal has become the main flashpoint between the workers and the management.

The union claimed that more than half of PRTC's 1,300 buses remained off the roads due to the strike. However, the PRTC management maintained that it had made alternative arrangements and was operating the maximum possible number of buses to minimise inconvenience to passengers.

The agitation intensified after talks between the union and the management failed on Wednesday, with the management refusing to revoke Guri's dismissal. Following the deadlock, the union announced an indefinite strike, the full impact of which became visible on Thursday morning.

The passengers were seen waiting for hours at bus stands amid hot and humid weather as several scheduled services were cancelled at the last moment. The women beneficiaries of the free travel scheme were among the worst affected.

The employees also staged a protest at the Patiala bus stand, where they pledged to continue their agitation until their demands were accepted by the management — seeking the reinstatement of Gurinder Singh Guri, regularisation of services and the implementation of several other long-pending demands.