Pay Panel Report: Ministerial union strike enters 9th day in Ludhiana

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, June 30

The ongoing strike the by Punjab State Ministerial Services Union, Ludhiana chapter, over their demands related to 6th pay commission report entered its ninth day today.

The employees have said they are unhappy and dissatisfied with the report of the Pay Commission released by the government.

Employees of various departments, including the DC office, PWD and Health Department, said they strongly supported the strike and did not conduct any work today. Meanwhile, visitors at various offices were forced to return without getting their work done.

Amit Arora, vice chairman of the union, said the Pay Commission report released by the government was a stab in the back of employees.

Demanding restoration of the old pension scheme, Sanjeev Bhargav, district president of the union, said: “Pension is a support and security to the old age of the working class. Therefore, pension is a very important and a legitimate demand to secure social status.”

Rakesh Kumar from the Civil Surgeon’s Office said on the one hand, the government was keeping employees recruited after January 1, 2004, under the new pension scheme while on the other hand, it was keeping its MLAs and MPs under the old pension scheme. It is injustice with employees, Sandeep Bhambak from the PWD corroborated.

Members of the union said they would continue to fight for the Pay Commission (with an increase in pay scale and allowances) and restoration of the old pension till the employees didn’t get their rights.