‘Will Respond PC to PC’: Punjab Employee Unions set conditions for further talks with Govt; Watch Video
Babushahi Bureau
Chandigarh, September 3, 2026: The standoff between the Punjab government and its employees intensified on Wednesday, with employee unions under the Sanjha Mulazam Manch rejecting claims made by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema and other Cabinet ministers and setting conditions for any dialogue with the government.
Responding to the press conference addressed by Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheema, Cabinet Minister Aman Arora and Cabinet Minister Dr Baljit Kaur, the union leaders said they would counter the government’s claims through their own press conferences, declaring: “We will answer press conference through press conference.”
The unions rejected Cheema’s claim that Punjab government employees receive salaries 28 per cent higher than employees in Gujarat and 13 per cent higher than those in Haryana.
Show-Cause Notices Must Be Withdrawn
The employee organisations said they were not opposed to dialogue in principle but maintained that talks could take place only after the government withdraws the show-cause notices issued to employees who participated in the August 27 Maha Hartal.
Sanjha Mulazam Manch convenor Sukhchain Singh Khehra said the notices must be revoked before any meaningful negotiations can begin.
Demand Withdrawal of Supreme Court Appeal
The unions also objected to the Punjab government’s decision to challenge the High Court’s directions on pending Dearness Allowance (DA) and Dearness Relief (DR) arrears before the Supreme Court.
They demanded that the government withdraw its Special Leave Petition (SLP) and comply with the High Court’s order regarding payment of the pending dues.
The employee leaders put the estimated outstanding DA and DR arrears at around ₹14,191 crore and demanded that the amount be released in accordance with the court’s directions.
Mass Leave From September 8
The employee front has reaffirmed September 7 as its deadline for the government to act on its demands.
If the show-cause notices are not withdrawn and the demands remain unresolved, employees in ministerial departments, the Civil Secretariat and district offices will proceed on mass casual leave on September 8.
The unions have also announced further programmes, including protests outside the residences of ministers and a maha rally in Sangrur on October 10.