-Chandigarh, July 16, 2025: Under the banner of Class Four Employees Union, Education Department (Regd.), Chandigarh and led by President Annu Kumar, hundreds of Class-4 employees from the education department staged a powerful protest to demand the fulfillment of their long-pending demands pending for the past 16 years.
The protest was held at the ground near Jama Masjid in Sector 20, where the employees expressed deep anger against the administration and the education department, chanting slogans.
During the protest, Annu Kumar stated that under the current contract system, the families of these workers are unable to develop adequately. Group-D employees engaged in year-round tasks on DC rates and outsourcing contracts have not only been deprived of permanent employment but are also forced to live in extremely difficult financial conditions.
He mentioned that multiple rounds of discussions have been held with the officials regarding these demands, but every time only verbal assurances were given with no concrete solutions.
Ashok Kumar, President of the All Contractual Employees Federation of India, said that the DC rate is a temporary arrangement introduced during British rule in 1941 for a single day’s wage. Applying this to year-round work is not in public interest.
Citing an example, he said that PGI Chandigarh has started paying its outsourced employees basic pay + DA under the principle of “equal pay for equal work,” in accordance with Section 25(2)(v)(a) of the Contract Labour (Regulation and Abolition) Act, 1970-71. Therefore, the education department’s failure to provide equal pay to DC rate employees is unjust and in violation of central regulations.
Union Chairman Pal Singh and General Secretary Joni Kumar demanded that direct DC rate and outsourced employees be paid basic + DA wages so that they can achieve minimum financial security. They also raised the demand for four-hour duties for Mid-Day Meal workers and half the DC rate salary accordingly. Other key demands included providing emergency medical services to all employees and granting gratuity to contractual workers retiring at the age of 60.
In conclusion, union leaders warned that if their demands are not met soon, the agitation would be intensified further.
