Lakhs of state government employees went on strike on Tuesday demanding the restoration of the old pension scheme in Maharashtra. Due to this, administration and many services are expected to be affected.
Paramedics, sweepers and teachers working in state government and municipal hospitals are also involved in the strike. The teachers have joined the strike at a time when class 10th and class 12th examinations are being held in the state. The Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister had appealed to the employees not to go on strike.
The workers went on strike on Monday after talks between the government and the workers’ unions failed. Employees raised slogans like only one mission, restore old pension in front of government offices and hospitals on Tuesday.
Officials said that a day earlier, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde announced the formation of a committee of senior bureaucrats to look into the demand for implementation of old pension of state government employees and submit a time-bound report. Shinde and Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had appealed to the government employees not to go on strike.
Chief Minister Shinde said that the participation of employees is important in the development of the state. Public representatives and administration are the two wheels of the chariot. Therefore, the government is not against the principle behind the demand to implement the old pension scheme. The mindset of the government is to find a way out of this.
A way will be found through discussion to maintain the social security of the officers-employees after their retirement. A committee of administrative officers, retired employees will be appointed in this regard. This committee will submit its report within a stipulated time frame.
The states which have implemented this old retirement scheme, their roadmap has not been prepared yet. Whatever policy the state government will adopt in relation to this scheme, first of all it will be ensured that no loss is caused to the retired employees.
GD Kulthe, Vinod Desai, Sameer Bhatkar, officers of Officer Federation, have issued a press note saying that requests were made on 26 December 2022, 1 March and 12 March 2023 to implement the old pension scheme.
A meeting was held with the Chief Secretary on 10 March. Federation executive meeting was held on Monday 13th March. Union leaders say that the number of government employees appointed after 2005 is about 40 per cent. All of them should get old pension. There is a lot of resentment among the employees due to non-implementation of the old pension scheme.
