Employee and pensioner organisations in Punjab are stepping up their agitation over long-pending demands, with preparations underway for the Punjab bandh on August 27. A meeting of various employee organisations was held in Ajnala to chalk out a strategy for ensuring maximum participation in the proposed shutdown.
The meeting was organised by organisations affiliated with the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Punjab Joint Employees Platform.
Employees, Pensioners to Intensify Protest
During the meeting, union leaders alleged that several demands of government employees and pensioners have remained unresolved for years despite repeated representations to the Punjab government.
They said the government had made commitments regarding employees' and pensioners' issues before coming to power, but several key demands are yet to be addressed.
Key Demands Raised by Employee Organisations
The organisations reiterated their demands, including the release of pending instalments of Dearness Allowance (DA), implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) and provision of salary scales on the Central Government pattern.
They also demanded withdrawal of orders related to the three-year probation period for newly recruited employees.
The union leaders further called upon the government to implement the decision issued by the High Court's Division Bench, stating that employees and pensioners have been waiting for resolution of their long-standing issues.
Government Offices to Join August 27 Shutdown
According to the employee organisations, government employees across Punjab will participate in the August 27 strike.
Employees from various departments, including schools, colleges, electricity departments, SDM offices, tehsils and other government establishments, have been urged to join the shutdown.
The organisations said the objective is to send a strong message to the state government regarding the pending demands of employees and pensioners.
Major Protest Planned in Ajnala
A separate protest programme has also been planned in Ajnala on August 27.
Employee representatives said workers will gather near the SDM office in Ajnala and hold a rally against what they described as the government's anti-employee policies.
The protest will also be used to discuss and decide the next phase of the employees' agitation.
Will schools and colleges be shut?
According to the the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Punjab Joint Employees Platform, all schools and colleges will remain shut on the 27th however, parents and students should therefore check messages or notices issued directly by their individual schools before making travel arrangements as schools may issue its own instructions depending on local conditions.
Unions Warn of Intensified Agitation
The employee leaders stressed that the August 27 shutdown would not be the end of the movement.
They said the agitation would continue until their demands are addressed and warned that the protest could be intensified in the coming days if the government fails to take concrete action.
The organisations have appealed to employees and pensioners across Punjab to participate in the August 27 shutdown in large numbers.