Punjab employees and pensioners announce mass leave on 21 and 22 October after a Sangrur rally

10 October 2026

Punjab government employees, pensioners and honorarium-based workers, including mid-day meal, ASHA and anganwadi staff, held a state-level rally in Sangrur on 10 October 2026 and blocked the Patiala-Bathinda National Highway. The rally was organised by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and the Joint Coordination Committee of the Employees Manch, Punjab. They announced a two-day mass leave on 21 and 22 October and protests during the Assembly session scheduled from 22 to 27 October. The protesters declined an offer of a meeting with the Chief Secretary and said they would negotiate only with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann. Their demands include release of pending dearness allowance (DA) instalments and arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, regularisation of contractual and outsourced staff and minimum wages for honorarium workers. Union leaders said the government's recent 8 per cent DA increase had not met their demands.