Chandigarh: Punjab government employees and pensioners, responding to a call by the Sanjha Mulazam Manch, will observe a statewide strike tomorrow, with employees planning to take mass casual leave.
The move is expected to significantly disrupt routine work across government departments. Employees are demanding the release of pending DA instalments and other long-pending service benefits.
Major government services likely to be affected
Clerical staff in several major departments are expected to remain on leave, including:
Deputy Commissioner and tehsil offices
SDM offices and Sewa Kendras
Water Supply and Sanitation Department
Irrigation Department
Municipal corporations
PSPCL
Punjab Pollution Control Board
PUNBUS and Punjab Roadways
Employees have appealed to the public to avoid visiting government offices tomorrow to prevent inconvenience, saying routine work is likely to remain affected.
The employees have also decided not to perform SIR-related duties during the strike.
DA, OPS and regularisation among key demands
Punjab State Ministerial Services Union Punjab additional general secretary Amit Arora said the protest was aimed at getting employees’ legitimate demands accepted and was not intended to inconvenience the public.
He said a meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann is also scheduled and that the union would decide its next course of action depending on the outcome of the talks.
The main demands include:
Release of pending DA instalments
Restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)
Regularisation of temporary and contractual employees
The impact is expected to be particularly visible in government offices, revenue-related services, schools, colleges and government hospital OPD services. Private businesses, factories and other private institutions are expected to function normally.
