Restore old pension scheme, say govt staffers, launch stir

Gurgaon: Haryana Karmachari Sangh will launch the ‘Haryana Movement’ demanding restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for government employees and oppose privatisation of public services and contractualisation of the workforce.
Starting from Tuesday, various unions such as the Roadways Employees Union will lend support to the Haryana Karamachari Sangh in organising protests and demonstrations at the district level, which will finally culminate into a mega rally on May 28.
The employees of various government departments will also join the Delhi Parliament protest called by the All India State Government Employees Federation today.
The central theme of the protest is the demand to roll back the New Pension Scheme and restore Old Pension Scheme. Besides, the workers are agitated against the privatisation of public services such as transport and the contractualisation of the workforce.
Dharambir Phogat, president of Sarva Karmachari Sangh Haryana State, said, “Lending support to the protest call of All India Government Employees Federation, government workers will now embark upon a warpath. Our aim is to demand better jobs, curb privatisation and discontinue of the trend of hiring contractual workers instead of permanent staff. Over the years, the government has diluted its role of a Welfare State which has led to declining incomes, increased job insecurity, and degrading working conditions.”
Supporting the Sarva Karmachari Sangh, several unions of different government departments such as transport and education would mobilise the workforce over the course of two months to press for their demands.
On March 16 and 18, workers will hold meetings in every district and hand over a memorandum to respective district commissioners on March 20. Thereafter, a convention of raw workers will be held in Rohtak on March 26. From April 10 to May 18, four delegations will run across Haryana, holding gate meetings and conventions at the block level for the preparation of the May 28 rally.
Besides the common demand for the restoration of OPS, different departments have their specific demands as well. For instance, Haryana Roadways workers have alleged that their salaries have not increased in the past two years even as inflation has made daily essential items dearer during this period.
“The manner in which the government has shoved the OPS on us is undemocratic. Another disturbing trend is that of hiring contractual workers to manage the increased workload instead of hiring new staff. Our previous attempts to oppose these moves have been met with either deafening silence or brutal force to suppress protests and rallies. Thus, it is imperative to launch a united front on the lines of the farmers’ movement,” said the Haryana Roadways Workers’ Union general secretary Sarbat Punia.