Govt offices wear deserted look as Ludhiana employees join mass leave

Members of the DC Office Employees Union, employee and pensioner associations, the Democratic Teachers Front, PSPCL and health workers participated in the protest under the banner of the Joint Action Committee Punjab

Government employees and pensioners from several departments joined the two-day mass leave protest in Ludhiana on Wednesday, holding demonstrations outside the deputy commissioner’s office to force action on unresolved demands. The agitation will continue on Thursday, October 22.

Government employees and pensioners protesting outside the DC office in Ludhiana on Wednesday. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)

Members of the DC Office Employees Union, employee and pensioner associations, the Democratic Teachers Front, PSPCL and health workers participated in the protest under the banner of the Joint Action Committee Punjab.

The protesters raised slogans against the state government over unresolved issues concerning salaries, pensions and service conditions.

The unions are demanding restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), release of pending dearness allowance (DA) instalments, regularisation of contractual employees, full salaries during the probation period and restoration of withdrawn allowances. They have also sought the withdrawal of orders affecting the salaries of employees recruited after 2020, including those appointed on compassionate grounds, and regular recruitment to fill vacant posts across government departments.

Addressing the gathering, union leaders accused the state government of failing to honour its commitments to employees and pensioners. They warned that the agitation would be intensified if their demands remained unaddressed. The leaders also said employees and pensioners could campaign against the ruling Aam Aadmi Party if chief minister Bhagwant Mann failed to resolve their grievances.

In Khanna, employees, teachers and pensioners from Khanna, Samrala, Machhiwara and Doraha gathered at Prem Bhandari Park on Wednesday after taking collective leave. The gathering was followed by a protest march through the town.

The protesters highlighted the delay in releasing pending DA instalments, the continued non-restoration of OPS, delays in regularising contractual and outsourced employees, the withdrawal of allowances and vacancies across government departments.

Women employees and teachers, along with pensioners and workers from various departments, participated in the demonstration.

The unions warned that they would consider further action if the government failed to address their demands.