Assam government employees on Thursday staged a statewide six-hour “pen-down” protest seeking restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS) and warned political leaders to support their demand from December 1 or “face consequences”.
The protest was called by the All Assam Government NPS Employees Association (AAGNPSEA) and the joint forum of teachers’, employees’ and workers’ unions.
In a joint statement, they said government employees across the state had united to demand implementation of OPS for all categories of employees, “as already adopted in five other states”, expressing hope that the BJP-led government would take a “positive decision”.
The unions cautioned: “From December 1, we will appeal to political leaders at local, regional and district levels to join the OPS movement. If they fail to support this just struggle, the working class may be compelled to oppose them in the social and political spheres in the future.”
Assam goes to polls early next year, and an agitated government workforce could become a major challenge, a political observer said.
According to a union leader, 3.8 lakh employees are under NPS and 1.1 lakh under OPS. “We want everyone brought under OPS,” he said.