6th Pay Commission: Staff protest paralyses work

Tribune News Service

Patiala, June 25

Work at various government departments remained affected on Friday as employees protested the recommendations and implementation of the 6th Pay Commission in the state. The protest started on June 23. The employees will hold a joint march to Patiala on July 29 and a statewide

‘hartal’ on July 8 and 9.

The government employees working at district administrative complexes, offices of PPSC, treasury, soil conservation, agriculture, forest, PWD, and Chandigarh and Mohali directorates among others held the protest today.

Ravinder Singh of the PPSC employees’ front said they opposed the recommendations of the 6th Pay Commission as these were against their interest. “The government has decided to increase the basic pay by a multiplication factor of 2.25 per cent only. It should rather be increased by 2.75 per cent. Also our DA arrears are pending for years and the government wants to pay it in instalments.” He said the employees of the PPSC participated in the protest being organised by the PSMSU today.

Mandeep Sidhu, general secretary, Punjab State Ministerial Services Union (PSMSU), said, “Work was affected at government offices throughout the state. The employees want that the old pension scheme should be re-implemented while the contractual and other staff should be regularised. We want the government to provide its employees full payment during the probation period.” He added, “We will hold a complete ‘chakka jam’ throughout the state on July 8 and 9.”