Employees reject 3 pc DA hike, work paralyzed in govt offices
Terming Punjab government's announcement of a 3 percent hike in dearness allowance as insufficient, employees have started a two-day pen-down strike. The unions have also announced a month-long agitation demanding restoration of the old pension scheme and payment of arrears.
Normal functioning was badly hit in government offices across Punjab due to a two-day pen-down and computer-off strike by employees. Following the call of the Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, employees took this step over their long-pending demands.
Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann had announced a 3 percent increase in dearness allowance for about eight lakh employees and pensioners of the state on the occasion of Diwali. With this hike, the DA will increase from 50 percent to 53 percent, which will be received in the salary and pension for the month of December.
Employee organizations have completely rejected this hike. Union leader Sandeep Singh said that this increase is insufficient because the main issue is the restoration of the old pension scheme and the payment of DA pending for many years.
Due to clerical and computer work remaining suspended in offices, people coming for government work are facing severe difficulties. People are running from pillar to post in offices as administrative file work and verifications have come to a halt.
On the other hand, the Sanjha Mulazim Manch and Pensioners Joint Coordination Committee have chalked out a month-long agitation program from November 13. Employee leaders Sukhchain Singh Khaira, Gurnam Singh Virk and Sushil Kumar stated that a dharna will be staged in Sangrur from November 13 to 19.
After this, from December 1 to 5, protest demonstrations will be held and effigies will be burnt in the constituencies of the ruling party MLAs. On December 6, this ash will be immersed in the Buddha Nullah in Ludhiana, and in the second week of December, a human chain will be formed from Shambhu border to Atari border.
Employee leaders alleged that instead of giving employees 63 percent DA at par with the Centre, the government has made it only 53 percent. They demanded that the 10 percent pending DA be released, 37 discontinued allowances be restored, contractual employees be regularized and 253 dismissed computer teachers be reinstated.
Key developments
- Two-day pen-down strike of employees begins in Punjab government offices
- Employee unions reject 3 percent DA hike announced by Chief Minister
- Unions demand 63 percent DA at par with Centre, old pension and arrears
- Month-long agitation announced starting with Sangrur dharna from November 13
