Teachers and government employees in the district are advocating for the reinstatement of the old pension scheme for everyone. They are planning to begin an indefinite strike on August 29. This decision was reached during a meeting in Sangli on Tuesday, led by Jalindar Mahadik, the President of the State Government Employees' Association.
Notable attendees at the Sangli meeting included Secretary P. N. Kale, Executive Chairman D. G. Mulani, and several other members such as S. H. Suryavanshi, Ravi Arjune, Ganesh Dhumal, Rajendra Kamble, Hajisaw Mujawar, Bapu Yadav, Amol Shinde, Shakti Dabde, Netaji Bhosale, Satish Yadav, and Omkar Kamble.
After the meeting, Mahadik pointed out that the coordination committee had previously organized two indefinite strikes focused on pension issues, which received widespread support across the state. Despite the government’s attempts to address these demands, including changing its stance on pension schemes, a formal announcement regarding the old pension scheme from 1982 has not yet been made.
Although Chief Minister Eknath Shinde proposed the plan in the state legislature, the scheme has not been put into action. Consequently, unions representing 1.7 million government employees and teachers throughout the state have decided to move forward with the indefinite strike beginning August 29, 2024.
The unions have outlined several key demands:
1. Immediate reinstatement of the old pension scheme for all.2. Issuance of orders for promotions, notifications, and compassionate appointments dated before November 1, 2005.3. Increasing the limit for retirement and death gratuity to 25 lakhs, in accordance with central government regulations.4. Timely filling of existing job vacancies.5. Lifting the hiring freeze for Class IV and driver positions.6. Regularization of services for contract employees who have completed over ten years of service.7. Extending the retirement age to 60 years.