Da Strike: West Bengal Govt Employees Announce Statewide Strike on March 13 Demanding Arrears DA

Da Strike: The streets of Kolkata heated up once again on Thursday as government employees took out a protest rally demanding their pending Dearness Allowance (DA). A tense standoff occurred between the police and the protesters at Esplanade, leading to a scuffle. Following this confrontation, the ‘Sangrami Joutha Mancha’ along with several other employee unions has called for a statewide strike on March 13.

The employees had planned to march from Metro Channel in Esplanade to Kalighat, demanding the payment of DA arrears in compliance with the Supreme Court’s order. However, the situation escalated when police barricades halted their progress.

Standoff and Sit-in Demonstration

Shortly after the rally began, police blocked the protesters near the junction of the Indian Museum and Lindsay Street using heavy barricades. The government employees insisted on being allowed to march at least up to the Hazra crossing. However, the police administration made it clear that there was no permission to proceed to Hazra, and the barricades would not be removed.

This led to a heated exchange between the police and the agitators. As tensions rose, the employees sat down on the main road in protest, disrupting traffic in the heart of the city. The protesters demanded that the Chief Secretary or the Chief Minister come and speak to them directly. The blockade was finally lifted around 4 PM.

Why the Strike on March 13?

With no solution emerging from talks with the administration, the joint forum has decided to intensify their movement. Their primary demands include:

• DA Arrears: Immediate payment of pending Dearness Allowance as per the 5th and 6th Pay Commission recommendations and court orders.
• Recruitment: Transparent and rapid filling of vacant posts that have been lying empty in government departments for a long time.
• Permanent Solutions: Regularization of temporary staff and implementation of equal pay for equal work.

Due to unfulfilled demands, a strike has been called across all state schools, colleges, and government offices on March 13. It has been announced that both permanent and temporary employees will join the strike.

Political Unity and Government Stance

Interestingly, keeping political differences aside, members of both Left and BJP-backed employee unions, as well as general non-political staff, joined the protest together. However, the ruling Trinamool Congress party has criticized the movement, labeling it as “politically motivated.”

According to the ruling party leadership, opposition forces are trying to create chaos in the state under the guise of employee protests ahead of the upcoming elections. They argue that Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has supported the employees to the best of her ability and has increased DA in phases. The state government also questioned why the protesters remain silent about the central government withholding massive funds due to the state, which has caused the financial crisis.