FourthClass Employees Hold Protest Rally at Health Ministers Residence Darshan Lubana

Patiala, September 11, 2026:- The Class Fourth Government Employees Union Punjab (1680), Patiala, held a protest over around a dozen demands concerning employees who have been working for a long time on contract, outsourced and user-charge basis in health institutions across Punjab, Aam Aadmi Clinics, civil hospitals, medical research colleges, hospitals, Government Mata Kaushalya Hospital, Civil Surgeons and under Ayurveda. The demands included implementation of minimum wages for long-serving workers, updating their service data on HRMS in light of the government’s recent decisions, bringing anti-larva (breeding) workers under the minimum wage framework, adjusting them against vacant posts and ending the practice of imposing long breaks every year. The union also demanded issuance of uniforms and identity cards, an end to the exploitation of health department employees, regular recruitment and departmental promotions and selection. The employees first assembled at the bus stop opposite Sri Dukhniwaran Sahib, where heavy police deployment had already been made.
The employees, who had gathered in large numbers, attempted to break through the police cordon and proceed towards the residence of Health Minister Dr. Balbir Singh, but the police stopped them by putting up barricades. On this occasion, police officials held talks with the union leaders and offered to receive a memorandum of their demands and arrange a meeting with the minister. Following this, a meeting with the Health Minister was scheduled for September 15, 2026, for discussions.
Thereafter, the fourth-class employees, including temporary and permanent workers, ended the protest march there and held a protest rally. They demanded the immediate abolition of the contract system, with all health institutions included under it, implementation of minimum wages for user-charge workers and a 15 per cent increase across all institutions. A demand was also raised for appropriate action against officials who fail to implement the increase. The Civil Surgeon, Patiala, was specifically mentioned in this regard.
Protest was also expressed against the Medical Superintendent of Mata Kaushalya Hospital and the Civil Surgeon, Patiala, for failing to update the data. An announcement was also made to observe a work boycott strike on September 12, 2026, in the hospital and the health institutions under it.
Those who led and addressed the rally included State President Darshan Singh Lubana, Ram Lal Rama, Shiv Charan, Dharminder, Ajay Kumar, Rajesh Kumar, Meena, Nathni, Ram Prasad Sahota, Rajesh Kumar Golu, Tarsem Samana, Ajay Kumar Nabha, Ashok Kumar, Senior Vice President, Baljinder Singh, Nonu, Dharminder, Baljit Singh Balli, Tarlochan Singh, Sunil Dutt, Parkash Lubana, Rakesh Kumar, Satnarayan Goni, Jagtar Lal Samana, Nishan Rana, Balwinder Singh Samla, Ravinder Happy Nabha, Darshan Singh Nabha, among others.