Thousands of government employees and pensioners from across the state gathered in Patiala to protest against the Punjab government's implementation of the 6th Pay Commission report's recommendations which they described as "useless and anti-employee."
Members of the Punjab and UT Employees and Pensioners Front, Ministerial Services Association, and Vocational Teachers' Union, as well as PSPCL employees, medical practitioners, and over 100 other organisations, were among the protesters.
The protest arose in the final year of the current state government, which implemented the recommendations on July 1. In the state, there are approximately 5.40 lakh government employees and retirees.
Employees claim that after the new rules were implemented, they received only minor pay raises. “The state government has given assurances of regularisation to contractual employees, but to no avail,” they claimed.
They said that issues involving various associations and employees, such as DA arrears, regularisation of employee and teacher services, and filling vacancies in government offices, have been pending for a long time.
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Employees also demand that the former pension scheme be reinstated and that the three-year probation period be lowered to two years.
Meanwhile, traffic was halted from the Sirhind road to the YPS chowk due to the protest. The demonstrators also attempted to break down the barricades, which resulted in a brawl between them and the cops.
Several protesters and police officers were hurt.
The protesters urged Punjab government to avoid rationalising posts in various departments and instead use state pay scales rather than central pay scales, as well as shortening the probation period for newly hired staff.
Traffic jams were caused by the protest, particularly on routes heading to CM Amarinder Singh's residence.