Despite ban, employee unions continue protest over demands in Patiala

Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 12

Despite the implementation of the model code of conduct on January 8, members of different unions continued their protests against the state government over pending demands here today . Union leaders said knowing well that their demands could not be fulfilled by the government now, they were protesting to deliver a message against it in the coming elections.

Leaders of the Democratic Employees Federation, led by the Punjab-UT Employees and Pensioners Front, burnt an effigy of the state government outside the office of the District Education Officer (DEO) here. They said during its five-year tenure, the government had failed to fulfil the demands of employees, pensioners, contractual workers and others. The leaders said they would continue their protest against the government during the election period.

Representative of the Democratic Employees’ Federation, Democratic Teachers’ Front and Mid-day Meal Cooks said they were holding the protest as the government had failed to regularise the services of contractual and outsourced employees. Instead, it had pasted false posters claiming that jobs of 36,000 workers had been regularised. They said the government failed to implement equal pay for equal work in the state.

The protesters organised rallies in Patiala, Nabha, Samana, Patran, and Rajpura. They said they would hold a convention in Jalandhar on January 16.

Meanwhile, member of the Class IV Government Employees’ Union and Punjab Subordinate Services Federation also held a protest outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner. They were demanding implementation of the old-pension scheme.

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