Punjab Government employees have called off their four-day pen-down strike midway through the agitation, ending the protest on its second day after the state government assured them that no punitive action would be taken against those who participated in the August 27 mass casual-leave protest.
The decision followed an hour-long meeting between Chief Secretary KAP Sinha and representatives of employee unions, including Sahil Sharma, Manjit Singh Randhawa and Alka Chopra. The Chief Secretary assured the unions that the August 27 letter declaring the mass casual leave “unauthorised” would be withdrawn and that no coercive action would be initiated against participating employees.
Sinha later described the meeting as “fruitful” in a video message. However, Sukhchain Khera, convener of the Sanjha Mulazam Manch, an umbrella body of employee unions, clarified that no discussion had taken place on the unions’ substantive demands.
The agitation dates back to August 27, when more than three lakh government employees availed mass casual leave across the state, demanding, among other things, the release of their pending 18 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA).
A meeting between Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and employee representatives could not take place that day after Mann insisted that the unions first call off their protest. The government subsequently announced on September 4 a DA hike for around 85,000 employees recruited after July 17, 2020, raising their DA from 42 per cent to 60 per cent. The decision applies to employees covered under the post-2020 regime whose pay is based on the Central government’s 7th Pay Commission pattern.
Employees recruited before July 17, 2020, however, remain outside the scope of the hike and continue to demand clearance of DA arrears in accordance with Punjab and Haryana High Court directions.
