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 Municipal Corporation Horticulture and PWD Road, today UT Electricity Department employees held a rally in Sector 40 and announced their intention to join the strike. Today, Horticulture workers held rallies in Mani Majra and Road workers held rallies in Sector 38.
In preparation for the rally, while addressing, the General Secretary of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers Chandigarh, Gopal Dutt Joshi, Vice President of UT Power Man Union Gurmeet Singh, Secretary Harjinder Singh, Rajbir Singh, President of MC Horticulture Workers Harkesh Chand, General Secretary M. Subramaniam, Cashier Sohan Singh, Mata Saran, MC Road President M. Rajendran, General Secretary Prem Pal Federation Secretary Bihari Lal, etc., appealed to all workers to go on a complete strike.
They said that this strike aims to cancel the PFRD Act, restore the old pension, confirm all types of temporary employees like daily wages, work charge, contract, outsourced guest, etc., and give equal pay for equal work until they are confirmed. They demanded not privatizing the departments and ensuring parks and green belts are not handed over to private owners, canceling the new education policy, quickly filling the vacant promotion and direct recruitment posts in government departments, immediately regularizing the contract and outsourced workers on the same posts, not merging the Bal Sevaks and helpers working in various crèches under Anganwadi, and protecting the salaries they are getting.
They demanded an end to the FIR lodged against the employees of the Electricity Department in February 2022, and to cancel the decision to provide electricity connection.
They also demanded an immediate revision of the DC rate of ICCW and MC Public Health (Kajauli) employees, and the abolishment of section 310, 311 (2) (A) (B), and (C) of the Constitution. They protested against the stubborn and negative attitude of the government and administration on central and local demands. The speakers appealed to all the employee federations and unions of Chandigarh to participate in this strike in the interest of the employees and to make it successful.