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Ludhiana: Punjab employees gear up for August 27 ‘maha bandh’
They are demanding release of DA, implementation of 6th pay commission, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme
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Government offices and administrative services across Ludhiana are expected to experience disruptions on August 27 as employee and pensioner organisations observe a statewide ‘Maha Bandh’.
Staff will abstain from work to protest against the administration’s continued failure to address long-standing structural and financial grievances.
The demonstration will impact Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices, where consumer-facing tasks, administrative processing, and routine complaint handling may face slowdowns due to reduced employees. However, essential utility functions, including continuous power supply and field operations, are expected to remain unaffected.
The decision was finalised during a joint meeting of district employee unions held at the Pensioners’ Bhawan near the district courts.
The employee organisations clarified that the shutdown is confined to government establishments and that the agitation will not disrupt public movement or commercial activity. “Our fight is with the government, not with the public,” the leaders said, adding that transport and normal public activities would continue as usual.
The statewide movement centers on several core grievances, including the release of an 18 percent pending dearness allowance (DA) instalment, withdrawal of the July 17, 2020 government letter, implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), and implementation of other pending demands of employees and pensioners.
The organisations alleged the state government had failed to honour commitments made to employees and had also not implemented certain demands despite court directions.
The PSEB Employees Federation (AITUC) has extended its full support to the August 27 mobilisation. State secretary Gurpreet Singh Mehdudaan said,“The government has repeatedly failed to honour commitments made to employees and pensioners. We have made it clear that the August 27 protest will be observed across government departments. Our objective is to press the government to resolve the pending issues, and we appeal to employees to participate in large numbers.”
The power sector personnel will further intensify their agitation in September if authorities fail to deliver a concrete resolution, he added.
Organisers have urged personnel across the district to participate in large numbers as a unified show of strength.
Government schools across the district are expected to struggle with normal functioning on August 27, as teachers have announced mass leave to participate in the statewide ‘Mahabandh’ called by employee and pensioner organisations over long-pending grievances.
With no holiday declared for the day by the government, several schools may have only two or three teachers available to manage students and routine academic work.
Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, district president of the lecturer cadre union, said, “Only two or three teachers are likely to be present in the schools as the government has not declared a holiday. With such limited staff, it will not be possible to teach all classes, and students will have to depend on self-study.”
The Education Department Sangharsh Committee, comprising the Elementary Teachers’ Union, Master Cadre Union, Lecturer Cadre Union, and Education Department Ministerial Staff Association has appealed to all personnel to join the Mahabandh and abstain from regular duties.
The protest has been organised because employee and pensioner organisations allege the state government of failing to fulfil assurances given before coming to power.
They demand a thorough review of salary scales currently structured on the Central government pattern, arguing the framework should be reconsidered to protect staff interests.
Another key demand involves withdrawing the three-year probation period for newly recruited employees, alongside other departmental orders that unions characterise as anti-employee. They have also sought implementation of Punjab and Haryana High Court double bench decisions in favour of employees.
Meanwhile, deputy district education officer (elementary) Manoj Kumar confirmed that no official holiday has been notified so far. “Teachers will think about the students, and we hope all of them will not take mass leave,” he added.
