Punjab employees, pensioners plan statewide maha bandh on August 27
Punjab's government employees and pensioners are set to hold a statewide Maha Bandh on August 27, 2026, pushing for long-pending demands.
The protest, organized by multiple unions, will likely disrupt work at government offices, but don't worry, essential services like electricity will stay up and running.
Unions seek 6th pay commission implementation
The main demands include an overdue 18% dearness allowance, implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, bringing back the Old Pension Scheme, and withdrawing the three-year probation period for newly recruited employees, alongside other departmental orders that unions characterize as anti-employee.
Schools might see a lot of teachers out on mass leave that day, so regular classes could get hit.
As Lecturer Cadre Union leader Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon put it, "Only two or three teachers are likely to be present in the schools as the government has not declared a holiday. With such limited staff, it will not be possible to teach all classes, and students will have to depend on self-study."
Unions say they're tired of broken promises and want real action this time.