Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee (KEC) correspondent
Nearly 7000 government school teachers in Bhavnagar and 8000 employees in Kutch took mass casual leave on 17th September 2022 to press for their demand of the implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS).
Gujarat state government employees have been agitating for some time for their various demands, including the demand of the restoration of the OPS.
In the talks with the unions, the State Government accepted some of their demands but did not accept the demand of pensions which the unions said was their main demand. The state education minister refused to give any commitment about the implementation of the OPS by saying that the decision on the OPS will be taken at the right time as it is a policy matter.
“Since our demand for OPS has not been accepted, we have decided to go on mass CL, in Kutch district; nearly 8000 employees including teachers will go on leave today”, announced Jakhrabhai Kerashiya of the Kutch Prathmik Shikshak Sangh. The same was told by Mahesh Mori, convenor of the Rashtriya Samyukt Morcha, Saurashtra region.
In Gandhinagar, a large number of employees took out a rally in Old Sachivalaya campus and stayed away from work.