Punjab Government employees strike work over long-pending demands in Amritsar

Observing a ‘maha hartal’ to impress upon the AAP government to accept their long-pending demands, employees struck work today. Government offices, barring emergency services, remained closed today.

Holding banners and raising slogans against the Bhagwant Mann government, protesting employees and pensioners held the main protest at the District Administrative Complex here. The employees also staged protests at respective offices. The protesters threatened to intensify their agitation if their demands are not met.

People did not turn up at government offices, including the District Administrative Complex, district revenue and other government offices, due to the strike.

At Suvidha centres, employees were in full attendance, but public footfall was lower than usual. With majority of the employees being on contractual service, they were not part of the strike.

Similarly, the public was also missing at the District Revenue Office where Tehsildar and other higher officials were present, but clerks did not attend the office in protest.

Rajbedi Anand, a protesting employee at government hospital, alleged that the government never enquired about their condition and its ministers only paid lip service.

Gurinder Singh, president of the Elementary Teachers Union, said all government elementary schools were closed. Ashwani Awasthi, a leader of Democratic Teachers Front, recalled that Cabinet Minister Harpal Cheema used to request them to vote for the AAP, but now the ruling party was ignoring the employees. He said if the employees can bring the AAP to power, they can also play spoilsport in the next Assembly election.

“With around 7.50 lakh employees and pensioners participating in the strike across the state, the protest also has the potential to influence nearly 38 lakh voters when their families are taken into account,” said Awasthi, a teacher.

The protesting employees asked the AAP government to clear their long-pending demands, including dearness allowance (DA) dues and resumption of old pension schemes.