Preparatory rallies concluded across various departments by the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh; preparations for the August 5th protest are complete.

Preparatory rallies concluded across various departments by the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh; preparations for the August 5th protest are complete.

Strong demand raised for the immediate regularization of contract employees who have completed 10 years of service, the absorption of outsourced staff directly under the departments, and the implementation of "equal pay for equal work."

Chandigarh 4 August ( Ranjeet Singh Dhaliwal ) : At the call of the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, and as part of the ongoing series of protests, preparations for the August 5, 2026, protest have been finalized today. Rallies and visits were conducted at various locations, including the MC Horticulture Booth (Sector 34), Water Works (Sector 12), various Electricity Department sites, MC Manimajra, and road maintenance booths. During these rallies, key demands were prominently raised: the immediate regularization of all contract employees who have completed 10 years of service, the immediate absorption of outsourced staff into the departments, and the provision of equal pay for equal work. It was emphatically stated that the employees would accept nothing less. The administration must take immediate and appropriate steps to address and implement the demands of the temporary employees. Addressing protest rallies, Federation President Rajendra Katoch, General Secretary Harkesh Chand, Chairman Gopal Dutt Joshi, Vice President Budhram, Joint Secretary Bihari Lal, and other office bearers—including Hardeep Singh (General Secretary, CMC Horticulture Workers Union), Ajaib Singh, Sohanlal, Rajendra Kumar (Finance Secretary), Mata Sharan (Deputy President), Perumal (Organizing Secretary), Ayyappan (Auditor), Gurpreet Singh (Press Secretary), Harpal Singh (President, CMC Public Health Workers Union), Hanif Mohammad (Cashier), and representatives from the Electricity Wing (Amrik Singh, Gurmeet Singh, Sukhvinder Singh, Virendra Singh, Vinay Prasad, Harjinder Singh, etc.)—strongly criticized the Chandigarh Administration and the Municipal Corporation authorities. They stated that the negative and anti-employee working style of the administration and the corporation is causing employees' problems to escalate continuously. Instead of resolving demands through dialogue, the administration maintains a negative attitude. 

Consequently, numerous long-standing demands remain unaddressed: regularizing all daily-wage and contract employees who have completed 10 years of service; bringing outsourced employees directly under the administration or a government agency (instead of the GeM portal) to ensure job security until retirement; implementing the "equal pay for equal work" principle; restoring the old pension scheme; filling vacant promotional posts; immediately releasing retirement benefits; cancelling the decision to hand over Horticulture Department parks and green belts to private societies via MoUs; providing uniforms, oil, soap, children's allowance, and CGHS facilities; raising the ESI and bonus eligibility limit to ₹50,000; rectifying errors in supervisors' DC rates; unconditionally increasing the DC rates of outsourced employees with five years of service by 2%; and implementing DC rates for Anganwadi, crèche, and mid-day meal workers. Therefore, the struggle will continue through both departmental and joint actions. He appealed to all employees to participate in large numbers in the protest organized by the Federation of UT Employees and Workers, Chandigarh, and the Sanyukt Karamchari Morcha on August 5, 2026.