LAHORE: The All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA) on Tuesday launched a sit-in outside the Civil Secretariat against the proposed privatisation of public schools, amendments to pension regulations and stoppage of leave encashment.

As many as 34 organisations of the employees of various Punjab government departments, including health, education and higher education, besides the members of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA), are taking part in the sit-in.

The protesters continued to chant slogans against the caretaker government and Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi throughout the day.

The Punjab government placed barricades outside the Civil Secretariat and also deployed police on the Lower Mall.

Punjab Teachers Union President Chaudhry Sarfraz said the government was following anti-worker and labour policies and they would not allow it to happen. He said they would not leave the sit-in until the acceptance of their legal demands while adding that no one from the government arrived at the protest for talks with the protesters.

“The employees from all other cities of the province are reaching the sit-in and they will also stop working in all government offices,” he announced.

Recently, the government had stopped the leave encashment of the employees, brought an amendment to pension rules and announced to handover the public schools to non-government organisations. The issue had raised concerns among the employees of all government departments.

The employees’ organisations and their officer-bearers from different parts of the province joined the protest. The sit-in will continue on Wednesday (today).

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023