No Diwali gift, staff make toll free for 5,000 cars in UP

AGRA: Upset implicit a “paltry” Diwali bonus, workers astatine a toll plaza connected the Agra–Lucknow expressway staged a soundless protest by leaving the roar barriers unfastened and letting much than 5,000 vehicles walk without paying the toll of Rs 650.Unlike astir protests, this 1 was swift, quiescent — and if you happened to beryllium driving betwixt the 2 cities for the agelong Diwali play — rather convenient. Around 10pm connected Saturday, arsenic Dhanteras postulation backed up connected the expressway, each lane astatine the Fatehabad toll plaza turned green. No 1 was charged. No 1 was stopped. No toll was collected. The unit had raised the roar barriers and walked off, leaving astatine slightest 5,000 vehicles to walk done for what they said was “inadequate festival incentives”.The 21 toll plaza unit were protesting a “meagre” Diwali bonus of Rs 1,100 announced by Shri Sai & Datar Company, which took implicit operations astatine Toll No 21 successful March this year. The institution claimed that since it had lone precocious taken charge, it was not obliged to wage a full-year bonus. The workers disagreed — and did truthful without ambiguity. “Last twelvemonth we got Rs 5,000,” said 1 employee. “This twelvemonth we got a justification.”By midnight, with elder institution officials connected tract and tensions flattened by the committedness of a 10% wage hike, the barriers came backmost down and the plaza returned to routine.