Govt workers, teachers to protest schools' privatisation

All teacher's associations and employee unions from Scale 1 to 16 and the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) have decided to jointly stage a protest and sit-in, and launch a long march again against the privatisation of government schools, leave encashment, pension cuts, possible layoff of employees, phased abolition of all financial incentives including pension and the abolishment of thousands of sanctioned positions.

As per details, government employees, teachers, and clerks across Punjab will stage an indefinite sit-in on January 15, 2025, in front of the Punjab Secretariat in Lahore. Protestors will lock and shut down government offices as part of the protest.

The central leaders of the All Pakistan Government Employees Association (AGEGA), including Rehman Bajwa, Dr Abid Jatoi, Shafiq Bhalwalia and Basharat Raja, stated that all government employee's associations have united and an action committee has also been formed. This decisive protest will commence on Thursday, December 19.

On December 19, a complete pen-down strike will be observed from 11am to 1pm in all 46 departments and educational classes will be boycotted. This strike will be conducted on a weekly-basis.

They went on to say that one day a week will be reserved for peaceful protests on the roads, which will be conducted on daily basis till January 12. Furthermore, on January 13 and 14, there will be a complete lockdown of public schools.

They said that, if their demands are not fulfilled by January 14, government employees, teachers, clerks, drivers and Naib Qasids from across Punjab will march towards Lahore on January 15.