LUCKNOW, May 20 -- The second phase of the agitation announced by the Roadways Employees Joint Council (Uttar Pradesh) has been postponed following detailed discussions with the UP State Road Transport Corporation (UPSRTC) management and the state government over pending employee demands. According to a joint statement issued by council president Girija Shankar Tiwari and general secretary Girish Chandra Mishra, talks on corporation-level demands were held with the UPSRTC managing director Prabhu N Singh on May 15, while governance-level issues were discussed with additional chief secretary (transport) Archana Agrawal on May 18. Following an appeal by the UPSRTC managing director, the council decided to defer the proposed statewide dharnas, demonstrations, rallies and public meetings till the end of the current peak season. The organisation said the decision was taken keeping in mind the importance of public transport services and the chief minister's appeal to citizens to use public transport in the prevailing global circumstances. The employee body said payment of 5% dearness allowance (DA) began after the agitation notice was issued. Orders have also been issued to increase remuneration for outsourced workers employed in workshops. The council said the management had agreed to review and revise several allowances, including night halt and day halt allowances for drivers and conductors, night shift allowance and pollution allowance for workshop staff, and enhancement of the EPF ceiling limit for contractual drivers and conductors. It added that contractual conductors would also receive seniority-linked benefits similar to drivers, while remuneration rates for drivers posted at Rupaidiha and Vindhyanagar depots would be brought on a par with NCR and Sonauli depots. The statement said the corporation assured the union that contractual drivers and conductors facing salary deductions due to load factors below 50% would get relief after a review of the deduction mechanism. Discussions were also held on providing employment to dependents of deceased contractual staff and extending retirement benefits and medical facilities to long-serving contractual employees. The management also assured that all eligible drivers, including contractual workers, would receive Rs.10,000 annually under the "No Accident Reward" scheme. During talks chaired by Archana Agrawal, the government informed the delegation that action would be intensified against tourist permit vehicles violating permit conditions. Officials also said a proposal to remove disparity in additional tax rates between private buses and UPSRTC buses had been sent to the state cabinet for approval. The government further informed the employee body that the proposal for regularisation of contractual drivers, conductors and daily wage workers appointed till 2001 had been sent to the public enterprises department. A proposal for approval of an additional 3% dearness allowance, raising it from 55% to 58%, has also been forwarded to the empowered committee....