DC Office employees call strike for three days from January 15, cite non-fulfillment of demands

Jalandhar: The government has been receiving demand letters from the employees of the DC offices for quite some time, requesting the fulfillment of their departmental demands. However, due to the government’s failure to address these demands, the employees are being forced to stop office work. While informing the press about this issue, Tejinder Singh Nangal, State President, Narendra Singh Cheema, State General Secretary, and Karvinder Singh Cheema, State Finance Secretary, stated that the government is not paying any attention to their demands.

As a result, after discussions with all the state and district leaders of the DC office employee union of Punjab, it was decided that a strike should be called. Based on the views of the union leaders, it was unanimously decided that due to the government’s failure to meet their demands, a three-day strike would take place from January 15, 2025, to January 17, 2025, across all DC offices, SDM offices, Tehsils, and Sub-tehsils in the state. If the government does not fulfill the demands during this protest, the union will announce the next course of action on January 18, 2025.

Details of the demands:

1. There are very few opportunities for promotion for senior assistants in the DC offices. It takes almost 27-28 years for a senior assistant to get promoted. Therefore, the promotion quota for senior assistants should be made 100%.
2. In SDM offices, the post of Superintendent Grade-2 (Mal & Record) has been upgraded from Senior Assistant. The relevant rules should be amended, or an order should be issued stating that only senior assistants should be promoted to the post of Superintendent Grade-2 (Mal & Record) in SDM offices.
3. Vacancies should be created wherever they have not been filled in DC offices, SDM offices, Tehsils, and Sub-tehsils as per the normal procedure.
4. The promotion quota for Naib Tehsildars should be increased.
5. Employees working in DC offices, SDM offices, Tehsils, and Sub-tehsils should be given a 5% administrative allowance.
6. Employees working during their probation period should receive full salary and allowances.
7. The letter dated July 17, 2020, should be revoked, and the applicable pay scale for Punjab should be implemented.
8. Promotions from Junior Scale Stenographer to Senior Scale Stenographer should be given without any test, and postings for Stenographers, Junior Scale Stenographers, Senior Scale Stenographers, and Personal Assistants should be made according to the respective officers’ positions.
9. Employees working on outsourcing or contract should be given a salary increase until they are made permanent.
10. The experience requirement for promotion from Superintendent Grade-2 (Mal & Record) to Tehsildar should be reduced from four years to two years.
11. The cases of promotion from Superintendent Grade-2 (Mal & Record) to Tehsildar should be cleared immediately, and these promotions should be implemented without delay.