The Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, has called for a nationwide strike on February 16th, supported by various central trade unions, including the All India State Government Employees Federation and Indian Electricity Employees Federation.
The primary objective is to cancel the Pension Fund Regulatory and Development Authority (PFRDA) Act and reinstate the old pension system.
Worker Issues:
Address concerns related to daily wages, work charge, contracts, outsourcing, and the confirmation of various temporary employees.
Equal Pay for Equal Work: Demand equal pay for employees until they are confirmed in their positions.
Departmental Privatization: Oppose privatization of departments, emphasizing the retention of parks and green belts under public ownership.
Regularization:
Immediate regularization of contract and outsourced workers in revised posts.
Education Policy:
Opposition to the new education policy.
Vacancies:
Urgent filling of vacancies in government departments.
Worker Welfare:
Ensuring protective salaries for workers.
FIR and Controversies:
Protesting against the FIR lodged against electricity department employees in February 2022 and contesting decisions related to green belts, parks, electricity connectivity, Indian Child Welfare Council (ICCW), and MC public health.
On the call of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, employees of UTMC and other departments will go on a nationwide strike on 16th February. This strike has been called by the All India State Government Employees Federation, Indian Electricity Employees Federation, and other central trade unions. After electricity and PWD Road, MC Horticulture employees held a rally in Sector 16 and announced their intention to join the strike.
Addressing the preparatory rally, General Secretary of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, Gopal Dutt Joshi, General Secretary of MC Horticulture Workers President Harkesh Chand, General Secretary M Subramaniam, Cashier Sohan Singh, Mata Saran, etc. appealed to all employees to go on a complete strike. They stated that this strike aims to cancel the PFRD Act and restore the old pension, address issues related to daily wages, work charge, contract, outsource, confirm all types of temporary employees like guests, and provide equal pay for equal work until they are confirmed. Other demands include not privatizing departments, retaining parks and green belts under public ownership, canceling the new education policy, filling vacancies in government departments, immediately regularizing contract and outsourced workers on revised posts, not merging Bal Sevaks and helpers in various crèches under the Indian Child Welfare Council with Anganwadi, and providing them protective salaries.
Furthermore, the employees are protesting against the FIR lodged against electricity department employees in February 2022, canceling the decision of MC to hand over green belts and parks to private societies, and addressing issues related to electricity connectivity, ICCW, and MC public health. The protest is in response to the adamant and negative attitude of the government and administration regarding central and local demands, such as immediately revising the DC rate of Kajauli employees, abolishing section 310, 311(2)(a)(b), and (c) of the Constitution, and more.
The speakers appealed to all employee federations and unions in Chandigarh to participate in this strike in the interest of the employees and ensure its success.