Overview
- State employees across departments began an open-ended strike Tuesday, with unions claiming roughly 17 lakh participants statewide though counts vary by district.
- The government issued a circular calling the stoppage misconduct and enforcing 'no work, no pay', with potential legal cases under the Essential Services law MESMA.
- At the core is a revised pension promised from March 1, 2024 that lacks a formal notification and has left employees retiring after that date without the higher benefits.
- Essential services largely continued on day one, but outpatient clinics and many counters in government offices slowed, including delays reported at the Pune RTO.
- Union leaders vowed to stay out until written assurances on a 17-point charter that includes hiring for Class IV posts, cashless health cover, a higher retirement age, and regularising contract staff, while nurses supported the protest at work and warned of a walkout in three days.