Government employees across Punjab began a two-day strike on Wednesday, October 21, taking mass casual leave to press demands that, according to their unions, have remained unresolved for months, Punjab Chronicle and Shaheed-e-Azam News reported.

Punjab Chronicle reported that around three lakh employees had launched the two-day protest on October 21 and 22. Employee leaders cited by PNO put the expected participation at nearly four lakh and warned that official work during the Punjab Legislative Assembly session on October 22 could also be affected. Both participation figures are estimates given by employee organisations and the outlets reporting them, not an official government count.

According to PNO's report of the unions' demands, the employees are seeking full implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), removal of anomalies in the 6th Pay Commission recommendations, regularisation of contractual, outsourced and daily-wage employees, release of pending Dearness Allowance (DA) instalments and arrears, withdrawal of the three-year probation period and related pay rules, and an end to the elimination of vacant government posts in the name of departmental restructuring.

Shaheed-e-Azam News, reporting from Chandigarh on October 21, said the strike would run until October 22 and that work in government departments, including the Punjab State Power Corporation, could be affected. Punjab Chronicle said the protest could affect the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Chandigarh and other departments, and that Punjab Roadways and Pepsu Road Transport Corporation (PRTC) bus services may also face disruption. Demonstrations were planned outside the Civil Secretariat, near PUDA Bhawan in Mohali and outside Deputy Commissioners' offices at district level, the reports said.

Employee leaders said they had rejected the government's meeting invitation, alleging — in their words — that assurances given at a meeting with the Chief Minister on September 18 had not been fulfilled, PNO reported. That is the unions' allegation; no Punjab government response to the strike's first day was reported in the sources checked for this story. The unions have warned of a wider agitation if action is taken against employees taking part, PNO reported.

Sources: Punjab Chronicle; Shaheed-e-Azam News (Punjabi), Chandigarh, October 21; PNO Media Group report on the unions' demands and meeting boycott.