Punjab government employees strike disrupts public services as OPD services remain affected statewide

Pic/PTI

Public services across several Punjab government departments were disrupted on Thursday as more than three lakh employees joined a statewide strike to press for the acceptance of long-pending demands, including the release of pending dearness allowance.

Outpatient department (OPD) services at several government hospitals were also affected, while government offices and educational institutions in some districts reported thin attendance after employees took mass casual leave.

More than 150 employees' bodies, operating under the banner of the Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch, joined the statewide "maha hartal". Employees' organisations said over 3.50 lakh pensioners were also participating in the agitation.

The strike is being seen as one of the largest employee mobilisations against the Bhagwant Mann-led government, particularly ahead of the Punjab Assembly elections.

Mann says talks possible only after strike is called off

Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, who was earlier scheduled to meet representatives of employees' bodies in Jalandhar to discuss their concerns, said the government would hold talks only after the strike was withdrawn.

"Employees are an important part of our family and we are ready to listen to every legitimate concern they have. But dialogue and strike cannot proceed together... The government is committed to resolving every issue, but dialogue will only take place once the strike is called off," Mann said in a post on X.

Government offices across the state either remained largely deserted or reported very thin attendance as employees stayed away from work.

Protesting employees also held demonstrations at district headquarters and other locations, raising slogans against the state government and demanding an early resolution of their issues.

OPD services and elective surgeries affected

Government-run health services were among those affected by the strike.

Employees' organisations said OPD services at several government hospitals remained suspended, causing inconvenience to patients. The state government's Aam Aadmi Clinics also remained closed in Ferozepur.

In Hoshiarpur, the Punjab Civil Medical Services Association supported the protest by boycotting OPD services at Civil Hospital Hoshiarpur and community health centres across the district.

PCMSA district president Dr Kultar Singh and general secretary Dr Muneesh Kumar said elective surgeries had been postponed due to the protest.

However, emergency services, maternity and child care, emergency surgeries, admission and treatment of patients already in hospital, medico-legal work, postmortem-related duties and medico-legal examinations continued as usual, they said.

Doctors also held a demonstration at Guru Nanak Dev Hospital in Amritsar. One of the protesters said OPD services had been suspended, while emergency services continued to operate.

Schools and government college see low attendance

Government schools in Hoshiarpur district remained closed as teachers and clerical staff joined the mass casual leave, according to Jasveer Singh Talwara, convenor of the Purani Pension Bahali Sangharsh Committee Punjab and secretary of the Government Teachers Union Punjab.

The Government College, Hoshiarpur, also witnessed thin student attendance after almost all regular teaching and clerical staff joined the protest, Government College Teachers Association president Amrit Samra said.

Ad hoc staff, however, remained on duty.

Employees from several government departments in Hoshiarpur, including the Deputy Commissioner's office, SDM and tehsil offices, education, irrigation, public works, horticulture, agriculture, health, industries, water supply and sanitation, excise and treasury departments, participated in the strike.

A protest rally was held outside the District Administrative Complex, where employees raised slogans in support of their demands and accused the government of delaying their resolution.

Protests held across Punjab

In Ferozepur, protesters took out a motorcycle rally from Saragarhi Gurdwara. The rally passed through several markets and localities in Ferozepur city and the Cantonment before moving through other parts of the city.

Protesters raised anti-government slogans during the rally.

Similar demonstrations were reported from Ludhiana, Phagwara and Jalandhar, among other places. State-owned bus services, however, remained operational during the strike.

Ravinder Luthra, a member of the Retired Pensioners Union, accused the Aam Aadmi Party government of failing to fulfil promises made to employees before the elections.

"Before the elections, the government promised the moon to employees. It had promised restoration of the old pension scheme, an end to outsourcing and implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, among other demands. So much time has passed, but the government appears to have forgotten its promises," he said.

Employees press for DA, pension and regularisation demands

The protesting employees are demanding the release of the pending 18 per cent dearness allowance, implementation of the Old Pension Scheme and regularisation of contractual employees.

They alleged that the state government had failed to release pending dearness allowance instalments and arrears despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court.

Other demands include the implementation of minimum wages for workers, including mid-day meal, ASHA and Anganwadi workers, restoration of the ACP scheme, and extension of Punjab pay scales to employees recruited after July 17, 2020.

Employees' bodies said they would continue to press the government for the resolution of their demands, while the state government has maintained that dialogue can take place once the strike is withdrawn.

(With inputs from PTI)