Staffers go on strike for restoration of OPS

Fatehgarh Sahib, January 8

On the call of the All India Railwaymen’s Federation and the Old Pension Yojana Restoration Joint Front (JFROPS) in New Delhi, the Northern Railwaymen’s Union, Sirhind, began a four-day hunger strike at the Sirhind Railway Station today. The employees were led by the Sirhind branch president Sanjeev Verma and secretary Jagdeep Singh Kahlon.

Addressing mediapersons, Kahlon said that this hunger strike will be held from January 8 to 11 from 9 am to 5 pm He added that the Indian Army, government school teachers and state government employees are also participating in this hunger strike.

Kahlon said that the All India Railwaymen’s Federation and the Northern Railway Men’s Union have been struggling for the restoration of the old pension scheme for a long time. He added that all the employees who joined government services after January 1, 2004 have been deprived of this scheme.

The branch president, Sanjeev Verma, said that the youth have started participating in the old pension scheme restoration movement and that the central government needs to redress this problem as soon as possible.

Members of the Railwaymen’s Union, Bhupinder Singh, Ram Slesh, Upinder Kumar, Gagandeep Singh and Bikramjit Singh were present, along with youth leader Krishan Kumar.