With the demand for pay hikes by government employees in Uttar Pradesh still to be met, the employees have decided to organise state-wide protests now, covering 15 districts.
The Uttar Pradesh government had already effected the 7th Pay Commission recommendations for its employees. However, the government employees of the State are seeking the revival of the old pension scheme that was abolished in 2005, and replaced by a new pension scheme (NPS).
With repeated discussions with the Government having shown no results, lakhs of UP government employees have taken to protesting. A procession named ‘Purani pension bachao-chetana rath yatra’ was taken out recently under the aegis of the Samyukta Sangharsh Sanchalan Samiti (S4), Uttar Pradesh, asking for the old pension scheme to be brought back. S4 is supported by almost a dozen employees’ unions.
The ‘rath yatra’ will cover 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh, in three phases, holding protests and demonstrations at the respective district headquarters, till 14 December 2018.
The yatra will culminate where it started in Lucknow, on 14th December, and if their demands are not met by then, the employees plan to call yet another huge public meeting in Lucknow a week later.
In a bid to foil the strike call between 25 and 26 October, the State Government had warned that salaries of employees participating in the protest or absenting themselves from work for any reason during those three days, will be cut. Nothing seems to deter the disgruntled employees though!
