Vol. XLI No. 15 April 09, 2017
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SKS Haryana Holds March to Assembly

Sabita

AT the call of Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana, about 15 thousand employees of the state marched to the assembly on March 7. SKS Haryana has been continuously fighting for demands of employees and against outsourcing and privatisation policies of the state government. The BJP government is not only indifferent to the demands but it is suppressing the rights of employees and people. Unions affiliated to the SKS like ICDS Supervisors Welfare Association, Nagarpalika Employees Union, NHM Employees Association, All Haryana Power Corporations Workers Union, Education Board Haryana, waged militant struggles for their demands. The government instead of conceding the demands of the employees has suspended, retrenched and transferred many leaders. Even after agreeing to the demands, they were not implemented. SKS Haryana took the decision to go for assembly march demanding fulfillment of the promises made in the election manifesto, implementing the historical decision given by the Supreme Court regarding equal pay for equal work, to stop outsourcing and contractualisation policies in public utilities and government departments, implementing the  conceded demands of the ICDS Supervisors Welfare Association, National Health Mission workers and AHPCWU etc, scrapping NPS and starting the old defined benefit pension scheme again, withdrawal of ban on recruitment in government offices and filling up vacant posts by permanent recruitment, stopping contractual appointments and regularising all contract employees, fulfilling the backlog of reserved categories posts by special recruitment drive, parity in pay scales and pension with Punjab, rectifying the anomalies of 6th Pay Commission before implementation of the 7th Pay Commission and implementing the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission based on per capita income of Haryana and according to recommendations of the Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana, implementing the recommendations of 7th Pay Commission in nagar palikas, nagar nigams, universities and cooperative departments from January 2016, for cashless medical facilities based on actual expenses, not imposing the amended rules on older employees in fire brigade department, withdrawal of all forms of victimisation of employees leaders including false cases, chargesheets etc and stopping of all efforts of caste and communal polarisation.

GOVERNMENT FORCED TO NEGOTIATE

 Employees from different unions, associations and districts reached the Housing Board Chowk (from where Chandigarh area starts) by shouting slogans. Chandigarh Police stopped the procession with barricades. Employees tried to lift the barricades forcefully. Noting the mood of the employees, OSD to the chief minister Haryana, visited the protestors and announced that a meeting will be held between the chief minister and SKS leadership on March 24. Leaders of Punjab and Chandigarh employees unions also supported the march:

SKS Haryana launched an extensive campaign in villages and towns to muster public support on the general demands. They covered about 700 villages and towns and addressed public meetings. Jat reservation movement was at its peak during this period even then people from all sections and castes agreed and appreciated their approach. Even during this tense environment, activists of the SKS Haryana launched the campaign successfully which created pressure on the government.