Lakhs Of Maharashtra Govt Employees Launch Indefinite Strike Demanding Old Pension Scheme. In Pics

Several government-related services, including in state-run hospitals, were affected in Maharashtra as lakhs of employees went on an indefinite strike from Tuesday seeking restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).

Paramedics working in hospitals run by the state government and civic bodies, sanitation workers, and teachers have also joined the strike at a time when examinations for classes 10 and 12 are underway.

Employees raised slogans like 'Only one mission, Restore Old Pension' outside government offices and hospitals. BMC officials also joined the protest at Azad Maidan. Though the BMC workers have not called for a strike, they put forward their demands, including restoration of old pension scheme.

Services in hospitals, educational institutes, government establishments, tax offices and even the district collector offices were completely shut, said Vishwas Katkar, the convenor of a committee of nearly 35 unions representing state government employees.

Among the demands raised by the employees include abolition of new pension scheme, equal pay for long service contract workers, all vacancies to be filled immediately, unconditional compassionate appointment, set retirement age at 60 years, end the new education policy, and immediately solve the problems of health workers.

To look into the demands of the employees, CM Eknath Shinde announced the constitution of a panel comprising senior bureaucrats that will give its report in a time-bound manner.