Punjab employees stage massive protest, announce August 27 statewide strike call; Watch Video
Babushhai Bureau
Chandigarh, August 7, 2026: Thousands of employees, pensioners and honorarium workers from Punjab and Chandigarh staged a massive protest march towards the Punjab Vidhan Sabha on Thursday, demanding the immediate resolution of their long-pending issues. The demonstration was organised by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Joint Coordination Committee of the Employees Forum Punjab.
After holding a rally at Sector 39 Dana Mandi, protesters marched towards the Vidhan Sabha, warning the Punjab Government that they would launch a statewide strike on August 27 if their demands remain unresolved. Employee leaders said the strike would lead to the closure of government offices across the state, from tehsil offices to the Punjab Civil Secretariat.
Addressing the gathering, employee leader Sukhchain Singh Khaira claimed that employees and pensioners would support only those political parties that present a clear roadmap for resolving their demands. He also alleged that employees had decided not to support the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in the next Punjab Assembly elections if their issues continue to be ignored.
Leaders of the Joint Coordination Committee alleged that despite directions from the Punjab and Haryana High Court, the government has failed to release pending 18 per cent Dearness Allowance (DA) arrears, implement the 2.59 pay coefficient for eligible employees and pensioners, restore the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), regularise contractual and outsourced employees, and reinstate several discontinued allowances. They also demanded Punjab pay scales for employees recruited after July 17, 2020, and implementation of minimum wages for honorarium workers, including ASHA, Anganwadi and Mid-Day Meal workers.
The employee leaders accused the state government of failing to fulfil promises made before coming to power and warned that continued neglect of their demands would have political consequences.
The rally was attended by several employee and pensioner union leaders, along with representatives of various government departments and organisations across Punjab.