Report of Mazdoor Ekta Committee (MEC) correspondent
Over 5,000 employees from across the country demonstrated at Jantar Mantar in Delhi on 25 November. The demonstration was organized by the National Movement for Old Pension Scheme (NMOPS) and the All Teachers/Employees Welfare Association (ATEWA). Workers from various sectors, including railways, postal services, defense, education, banking, and insurance, participated. They strongly raised their demand for the repeal of the National Pension Scheme (NPS) and Universal Pension Scheme (UPS) and the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
In the protest, teachers and staff from various states of the country—such as Delhi, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat—raised their voice in support of OPS.
Members of Mazdoor Ekta Committee actively participated in the demonstration, distributing copies of leaflet issued by the Committee.
Employees at the demonstration held placards in their hands, which read: ‘Restore the Old Pension Scheme!’, ‘Privatisation will not be tolerated!’, ‘Neither more nor less, we want old pension!’, ‘Long live workers’ unity!’, ‘One mission, old pension!’, ‘NPS go back!’ ‘It is not a whim but a necessity, old pension is essential!’, ‘If NPS is a fraud, then UPS is a mega-fraud!’, and so on.
All these workers have been struggling for the restoration of old pension for the last several years.
Workerrs said: pensions are a source of support for our old age, and we cannot afford to give them up at any cost. By implementing NPS or UPS, the government wants to usurp our wealth, accumulated over years of hard work. If NPS is so good, why was UPS necessary? Despite extending the deadline for opting for UPS three times, only 4.5 percent of employees have selected UPS.
Speakers said that privatization is a scourge on the country, under which public resources created by the hard work of workers are handed over to private capitalists. Governments claim they are only privatizing loss-making institutions. If that is the case, then why is the Chandigarh Electricity Board, which is operating at a profit, being privatized? The government is acting in favor of capitalists. It is writing off and forgiving crores of rupees of debt owed by capitalists. But when it comes to the rights of workers and farmers, the government cites a lack of funds as an excuse.
He said that the future of employees is insecure under this system, which has caused deep anger among government employees. This is not just a fight for pensions but a fight for respect and a secure future for employees. Therefore, the movement will continue at every level.
The speakers said that they unanimously oppose the four labour laws.
Mazdoor Ekta Committee fully supports the demand of OPS and demands that it is the duty of the state to ensure a dignified life in old age to all toiling people—workers and farmers—across the country.