Employees of the Maharashtra government, along with semi-government staff and teaching and non-teaching personnel, have announced an indefinite strike beginning April 21, citing the government’s failure to address long-pending demands, including the implementation of a revised pension scheme, reported PTI.
Strike call over pending pension scheme implementation
The decision was announced by the Government, Semi-government, Teaching and Non-teaching Staff Coordination Committee, which stated that assurances given earlier regarding the revised pension scheme have not been fulfilled, reported PTI.
The committee said the previous administration led by Eknath Shinde had promised to implement the revised pension benefits from March 1, 2024. However, no official notification has been issued so far, reported PTI.
As a result, employees who retired after the proposed implementation date have been unable to access the revised pension benefits.
17 demands raised, no dialogue held
According to the coordination committee, a total of 17 key demands have been submitted to the government. These include issues related to employee welfare, recruitment and retirement benefits, reported PTI.
The committee claimed that while the government had indicated that decisions would be taken at the Chief Secretary level, there has been no meaningful engagement or discussion on these demands for over a year, reported PTI.
Convenor Vishwas Katkar stated that the lack of response reflects an indifferent approach towards employees and educators, reported PTI.
Large-scale participation expected
The strike is expected to see participation from a wide cross-section of government and semi-government employees across Maharashtra. Around 3.5 lakh class four employees are also likely to join the protest, significantly impacting administrative and support services.
The coordination committee said the protest would continue indefinitely until concrete steps are taken by the government to address their concerns.
Key demands include vacancies, insurance and retirement age
Among the major demands raised by the employees are the filling of vacant posts, particularly for class four staff and drivers, introduction of a comprehensive health insurance scheme and an increase in the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, reported PTI.
Employees have argued that these measures are essential to improve working conditions and ensure financial security.
Protest signals escalation in employee unrest
The announcement of an indefinite strike highlights growing discontent among government employees in the state. With no resolution in sight, the protest is likely to disrupt administrative functioning if participation remains high.
(With inputs from PTI)
