SJM Protest: DA, Recruitment, Regularization, Government Employees on Warpath in West Bengal

SJM Protest: The Sangrami Joutha Mancha has announced a historic ‘Nabanna Chalo’ campaign on July 28th. The main goal of this campaign is to achieve several important demands, including transparent recruitment in vacant posts in various government departments of the state, payment of outstanding Dearness Allowance (DA), and regularization of temporary employees.

Main Demands:

• Transparent Recruitment: The process of transparent and permanent recruitment must be started immediately in about 6 lakh vacant posts in the state.
• Reinstatement of Teachers: Qualified teachers and non-teaching staff should be reinstated in their jobs and the 2016 panel should be republished.
• Outstanding DA: According to the Supreme Court’s verdict, 25% of the outstanding DA of the state government employees must be paid immediately.
• Regularization of Temporary Employees: The process of regularization of all temporary employees must be started.
• Women’s Safety: The safety of women in government departments must be ensured.

Future Programs:

• Nabanna Campaign: The ‘Nabanna Chalo’ campaign will start from Howrah station at 12 noon on July 28th. Wherever the police obstruct, a peaceful sit-in demonstration will be held.
• Martyr’s Day Observation: ‘Martyr’s Day’ will be observed in Dharmatala on July 21st. On this day, the “martyrdom” of the state’s talent and labor due to government policies will be highlighted.
• Protest Meeting: The Sangrami Joutha Mancha will actively participate in the protest called by the Abhay Mancha on August 9th in protest of the RG Kar incident.

Bhaskar Ghosh’s Statement:

The convener of the forum, Bhaskar Ghosh, said, “This fight is a fight for our existence. We will not back down until we get our rights.” He also said that the ‘Nabanna Chalo’ program on July 28th is not the end, and he warned of a larger program if the demands are not met.

This press conference has highlighted the picture of the united struggle of various employee, teacher, and non-teaching staff organizations. Their collective demands and future programs have created a stir in the administrative circles of the state. Now it remains to be seen what steps the state government takes regarding these demands.