Government Employees in Gujarat Postpone Strike Amid Assurances on Pending Demands

Ahmedabad — Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to embark on a two-day visit to Gujarat on September 16 and 17. Ahead of his visit, government employees in the state had threatened to initiate a pen-down strike starting on September 17, which coincides with the Prime Minister's birthday, to press for their long-standing demands, including the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme.

In response to the strike threat, the state government and senior officials held a high-level meeting, appealing to the employees to refrain from proceeding with the strike. The government assured them that their demands would be addressed sympathetically within five days after the Prime Minister's visit.

This assurance has had a positive impact, leading the employees to announce a temporary suspension of their planned strike. The initial announcement of the strike had put the government in a difficult position, especially given its timing on the Prime Minister's birthday.

"The government has promised to consider our demands compassionately after the Prime Minister's Gujarat visit," a representative of the employees stated. The state government has scheduled a meeting next week to discuss the ten pending demands put forth by the employees.

The government employees had planned to begin their pen-down strike on September 17, along with demonstrations across various zones from October 6 to 27. Their primary demand centers around the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme. Approximately 24,000 teachers and over 60,000 other government employees are part of this collective demand.

In 2022, the government had announced the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme. However, two years later, the lack of implementation has led to growing dissatisfaction among the employees.

Other significant demands include:

- Rectifying discrepancies in fixed salaries and grade pay.
- Eliminating anomalies in higher pay scales.
- Providing employment to family members if an employee dies during service.
- Exempting employees over 50 years of age from departmental examinations.
- Ending the practice of outsourcing.
- Allocating residential plots at concessional rates.

The employees emphasized that while they have postponed the strike, they expect the government to fulfill its promises within the stipulated timeframe. Failure to address these issues may result in the resumption of their protest activities.

The government's prompt response aims to maintain administrative continuity and address the concerns of its workforce. As the state prepares to welcome Prime Minister Modi, all eyes will be on the upcoming meetings and the government's actions to resolve the employees' demands.