Punjab Civil Secretariat. Photo: Facebook
LAHORE:
A protest by the Grand Alliance of Government Employees outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat entered its third day on Thursday, intensifying pressure on the provincial government to address long-standing service-related grievances.
The alliance includes teachers as well as employees from various other government departments.
From early morning, a large number of protesters gathered outside the main entrance of the secretariat, chanting slogans and holding placards calling for an immediate reversal of the policy and official notifications in their favor.
The protest remained largely peaceful but caused partial traffic disruptions in surrounding areas due to increased police deployment and road diversions.
A feature of the ongoing sit-in was the strong participation of women teachers from across Punjab. Women educationists from Lahore, Gujranwala, Faisalabad, Multan, Rawalpindi and southern districts were seen raising slogans and addressing the crowd regarding the financial and professional challenges faced by government employees after the recent policy changes.
The protesters announced that the sit-in would continue until their demands were accepted and notified by the provincial government.
Grand Alliance representatives said verbal assurances were no longer acceptable and only written notifications could end the protest.
One of the central demands is the regularization of contractual employees. Protesters say thousands of teachers and other staff have been working on contract for years despite meeting the eligibility criteria for permanent positions. They demanded the restoration of Rule 17-A, which earlier allowed contractual employees to be absorbed into the permanent service.
Another key demand is the reinstatement of the old leave encashment notification which was revised as part of the recent austerity measures.
According to protesters, the revised policy has resulted in financial losses for retired employees who had planned their post-retirement lives based on earlier rules.
The alliance also called for the reinstatement of old family pension rules, saying changes to the regulations have negatively impacted the families of deceased civil servants. The demonstrators stressed that the pension is not a privilege but an acquired right which guarantees family dignity and financial security after retirement or in the event of death.
Teachers warned that uncertainty over post-service benefits was demoralizing educators and affecting the quality of education in public sector institutions.
Another important demand concerns higher education diplomas. The protesters demanded that master’s degree holders be given a salary scale of 17 and doctorate holders of 18. They argued that ignoring promotions based on qualifications discouraged teachers from pursuing higher education and doing research.
On the third day of the protest, government officials reportedly began informal contacts with representatives of the alliance.
Protest leaders expressed disappointment at what they described as “delaying tactics” by authorities.
Security measures remained tight around the Civil Secretariat, with police personnel deployed to prevent any escalation. Despite the large presence, the demonstrators maintained their discipline and reiterated their commitment to peaceful struggle.
