Archive · 28 Aug 2026
Punjab employees burn CM Mann effigy over meeting refusal
Punjab government workers protested in Hoshiarpur against Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
They burned an effigy and copies of a government letter and the chief minister’s post on X. The workers said Mann would not meet them unless they ended their protest.
The workers wanted to meet him without first ending the strike.
They asked the government to pay pending dearness allowance.
They also wanted other demands in their memorandum to be addressed.
More than three lakh employees took part in a statewide strike or mass casual leave on August 27.
Some government offices were affected, and outpatient services stopped in public hospitals.
The government and employee groups disagreed about whether talks should happen during the protest.
Punjab government employees in Hoshiarpur burned an effigy of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann during a protest.
Union leaders accused Mann of refusing to meet employee representatives and criticised his alleged indifferent attitude.
Employees demanded implementation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s ruling on dearness allowance payments.
They also sought resolution of other demands listed in their memorandum to the government.
More than three lakh employees joined a statewide strike and mass casual leave on August 27, affecting government work and hospital OPD services.
- Who
- Punjab government employees, pensioners’ groups, and employee unions; Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and the Punjab government were the focus of their protest.
- What
- Employees burned Mann’s effigy and protested his alleged refusal to hold an unconditional meeting with their representatives.
- When
- The Hoshiarpur protest took place on August 28; the statewide strike and mass casual leave occurred on August 27.
- Where
- Outside the civil surgeon’s office in Hoshiarpur, Punjab; the strike affected government departments and public hospitals across Punjab.
- Why
- Employees demanded pending dearness allowance payments, implementation of a Punjab and Haryana High Court decision, and action on other memorandum demands.
Employee unions
Punjab government
Conditions for talks
Employee unions
Employee representatives refused to call off the strike first and demanded an unconditional meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Punjab government
Mann said a meeting and a continuing protest could not take place simultaneously, indicating that talks would be held only after the strike was withdrawn.
Government response to demands
Employee unions
Union leaders demanded immediate implementation of the Punjab and Haryana High Court’s decision on dearness allowance and action on other memorandum demands.
Punjab government
The article reports the government’s position on holding talks but does not provide a detailed response to each employee demand.
- Protest location
- Outside the civil surgeon’s office in Hoshiarpur, Punjab
- Organising group
- A Joint Coordination Committee formed by the Punjab Employees and Pensioners Joint Front and Sanjha Mulazim Manch, Punjab
- Strike participation
- More than three lakh Punjab government employees reportedly joined the statewide strike
- Main financial demand
- Release and implementation of pending dearness allowance payments
- Strike date
- August 27
- Meeting dispute
- Mann said talks could not be held while the protest continued; employees sought an unconditional meeting
- Reported impact
- Work was affected in government departments and OPD services were suspended in public hospitals