Punjab Govt Employees Launch Pen-Down Strike Over Salary And Pension Disparities

In a significant development, employees of the Punjab government have collectively decided to initiate a pen-down strike, persisting until their legitimate demands are met.

A substantial number of government employees gathered in front of the Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner Offices to voice their concerns about disparities in their salaries and pension plans. These demonstrators are advocating for equal salaries, pensions, and other benefits on par with their federal government counterparts.

Punjab government employees were heard loudly decrying the provincial government and urging an end to the perceived bias against them.

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The Punjab Government Employees Welfare Association (PGEWA) General Secretary, Shokat Nadeem Bhatti, conveyed in a press release that this strike would continue indefinitely due to the government’s perceived lack of seriousness in addressing the employees’ concerns.

Previously, these employees had been staging a sit-in every Tuesday. Now, they have decided to maintain their protest until their grievances are addressed, with the possibility of organizing a demonstration in front of the parliament house if necessary.

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Protest leaders included Abdul Sattar Qureshi, President of the Punjab Revenue Coordination Council (Rawalpindi), Nadeem Bhatti, General Secretary, and Muhammad Sajjad, President of the Prosecution Office Rawalpindi.

Furthermore, the protestors issued a warning that they would disrupt Outpatient Departments (OPDs) in affiliated hospitals if the Finance Department did not rescind its recent notification. The notification in question outlined adverse financial implications for retiring government employees, affecting their leave encashment and pension payments. Additionally, it specified that payments would be calculated based on the employees’ initial basic pay scale rather than their current pay scale.