Chandigarh: Work in government offices across Punjab came to a standstill on Tuesday as ministerial staff launched a pen-down strike in Chandigarh and Mohali and took mass casual leave in districts, with unions declaring that the strike will continue till Friday following a breakdown in negotiations with administration officials. The deadlock marks the second major industrial action by public sector employees in less than a fortnight.
While essential public services, transport, educational institutions, and healthcare facilities remained operational, clerical processing within these departments ground to a halt as ministerial personnel refused duties. In the secretariat and mini-secretariat complexes, along with directorate offices in Chandigarh and Mohali, employees staged demonstrations wearing protest badges and voiced opposition to recent administrative decisions.
Representing the union, leaders maintained that the agitation centers on demanding the immediate rollback of a government communication that classified their August 27 mass leave as “unauthorised leave” and threatened show-cause notices. Employees further demanded the cancellation of the transfer order issued against union leader Sushil Kumar Fauji from the secretariat to Mohali.
Discussions held between state authorities and union representatives failed to reach a resolution, as officials maintained the administrative stance on the August 27 classification. Union representatives affirmed that the work suspension will persist until their primary demands are formally addressed by the government.
