Report by Kamgar Ekta Committee correspondent
More than 3 lakh Punjab government employees went on a statewide strike on 27 August 2026 to press the government to accept their long pending demands.
Over 150 organizations of employees of the state government came together under the banner of Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch for the ‘maha hartal’ to press the state government to accept their long pending demands.
The employees’ main demands are the release of pending 18% dearness allowance (DA), the implementation of the Old Pension Scheme, rationalisation of Seventh Pay Commission anomalies, restoration of the withheld 12% financial allowance and withdrawal of termination show-cause notices to school teachers and regularisation of contractual and outsourced employees. Employees said despite repeated assurances, the state government has failed to address their long pending demands.
In Bathinda, Barnala, Mansa, Moga, Muktsar and Faridkot, employees protested outside district collector offices while similar demonstrations were held at SDM and tehsil offices. Government teachers also held protests at district education offices.
The Joint Action Committee will meet in Ludhiana on Aug 30 to decide the next course of action.