Metro bus employees staged a strong protest in Islamabad on Monday over alleged dismissals, unpaid salaries, and salary deductions, causing disruption in operations on the Rawalpindi–Islamabad Metro Bus route.
According to reports, workers linked with private service providers of the Islamabad Metro Bus Service had been raising concerns for several days regarding unpaid wages, forced terminations, and what they described as unfair salary deductions. After receiving no resolution, employees gathered at key stations including IJP and Potohar and blocked bus operations.
The protest led to the suspension of Metro Bus services for several hours, affecting daily commuters across the twin cities. Female employees also joined the demonstration, highlighting the widespread nature of grievances among staff.
Workers alleged that between 150 and 200 employees had been dismissed without prior notice. They also claimed that salaries for multiple months, including March, April, and May, had not been paid.
Protesters further stated that while the contract for Metro Bus operations had been transferred to a new company, employees should not have been penalized due to the change. They insisted that many of them had long-term service contracts extending until 2027.
The workers demanded reinstatement of dismissed employees, clearance of pending salaries, and improvement in working conditions, including a minimum monthly salary of Rs40,000, proper leave entitlements, and an end to alleged unlawful deductions.
They also raised concerns about deductions of Rs5,000 from salaries and claimed discrepancies between official salary slips and actual payments received.
The protest disrupted Metro Bus operations between Rawalpindi and Islamabad, highlighting ongoing labor issues within service providers associated with the transport system.
Authorities have not yet issued a detailed response regarding the workers’ demands or the reported dismissals.
