Withdraw the strike, Maharashtra govt employees will get monetary benefits equivalent to OPS

By PTI
MUMBAI: Maharashtra government employees agitating for restoration of the old pension scheme on Monday called off a week-long strike after a successful meeting between their representatives and Chief Minister Eknath Shinde over key demand, a union leader said.

Vishwas Katkar, the striking unions coordination committee’s convenor, said the state government has ‘in principle’ agreed to extend monetary benefits equivalent to the OPS to employees who are part of the New Pension System (NPS).

The government employees were on an indefinite strike since March 14 demanding restoration of the OPS, which was discontinued in 2005.

The striking employees cited the example of Congress-run governments in Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan where the Old Pension Scheme is in operation. “We deserve a decent life after retirement. We want social security. The Old Pension Scheme should be implemented as early as possible. We are not afraid of if the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA) is imposed, let the government do anything, we are firm on our demand,” defiant state government employees had said earlier.

(With inputs from Sudhir Suryawanshi)