On the call of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers in Chandigarh, employees of UT MC 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 the Federation of UT Employees and Workers in Chandigarh announced a strike in a huge rally in Sector 17 on 30 January 2024, notices were issued to the Advisor to the Administrator and, on 31 January 2024, to the Home, Finance, Social Welfare, Personnel, and Commissioner MC, including all the officers.
Employees from different departments of UT and MC, such as electricity, water, horticulture, roads, electrical, Indian Child Welfare Council, health, education, municipal corporation, contact center, smart city, MC Manimajra, etc., will participate in this strike. In connection with this, gate rallies were held yesterday at PWD Road Store Sector 16 and Road Booth Sector 9.
While addressing the preparatory rallies, General Secretary of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers in Chandigarh, Gopal Dutt Joshi, Joint Secretary Bihari Lal, Head of MC Road Workers Toplan, President P Rajendran, and General Secretaries Prempal and Rajendra appealed to all the workers to go on a complete strike.
It was said that this strike would be conducted to cancel the PFR DA Act and restore the old pension, confirm all types of temporary employees like delevage, work charge, contract, outsourced guests, etc., and provide equal pay for equal work until they are confirmed.
The demands also include not privatizing the departments, canceling the new education policy, immediately filling vacant promotion and direct recruitment posts in government departments, immediately regularizing contract and outsourced workers employed on revised posts on the same posts, protecting Bal Sevaks and helpers working in various creches under the Child Welfare Council of India, not merging the MCs with Anganwadi, and protecting the salaries they are receiving.
Additionally, they demand ending the FIR lodged in February 2022 against the employees of the electricity department, canceling the decision of the MC to give green belts and parks to private societies, electricity connections, and the immediate revision of the DC rate of CCW and MC Public Health (Kajauli) employees. They also demand abolishing section 310, 311(2)(A)(B), and (C) of the Constitution, etc. This protest is being carried out against the stubborn and negative attitude of the administration. The speakers appealed to all the employee federations and unions of Chandigarh to participate in this strike in the interest of the employees and make it successful.
