Toll staff protest on Agra-Lucknow Expressway for 8 hours, open barriers to let vehicles pass

The expressway is one of the major routes in Uttar Pradesh, providing a direct link between Agra and Lucknow. It also connects with Delhi and the National Capital Region through the Yamuna Expressway.

The toll operator, Shrisai and Datar Company, denied any major losses due to the strike. The firm had taken over the management of the plaza in January this year.

Krishna Jurel, the project manager, said since all the vehicles have FASTag, the toll was automatically deducted. “We did not incur any huge loss. The only losses we incurred were from the vehicles that did not have balance in their FASTags,” he said.

According to workers, they protested after they received a paltry sum of Rs 1,000 as bonus.

“I have been working with the company for one year but they did not give useven 10 percent as a bonus of our salary. We have been working so hard but they do not even give us our salaries on time,”said a protesting employee.

“I have been working here for seven years, when the expressway became operational. There are around 70 workers who have been here since then. Last time the company promised to give us 50% of our salaries as bonus, but it left. We thought that this company would fulfill those promises,” said another employee.

They had spoken to the manager 8 days ago about the bonus, he said, adding, “We wanted 50% bonus, but when they paid us Rs 1,000 on October 15. We returned the money.”

“We are being exploited. If we go to the labour court, we get no justice even there. The agreement that we had signed reads that we have to work for 8 hours but we end up working here for 12 hours. Of four designated leaves a week, we get none and then there is no increment,” he added.

Responding to the allegations, Jurel said the company manages the Agra-Lucknow and Bunndelkhand expressways. “There are 33 tolls, and we can’t give bonus to a select few,” he said. “We agreed for an increment in November instead of January and are also looking into their other demands,” he said.