Over 1.7 million government and semi-government employees, along with teaching and non-teaching staff at educational institutions across Maharashtra, launched an indefinite strike on Tuesday, April 21, 2026, over a set of long-pending demands, including the restoration of the old pension scheme.
The strike call was issued jointly by the State Government Employees’ Central Association, the State Government Group-D (Class IV) Employees’ Central Federation, and the Government, Semi-Government, Teaching and Non-Teaching Staff Coordination Committee. The unions have cited 17 unresolved demands, including the implementation of a revised pension scheme, filling vacant Class IV and driver posts, a comprehensive health insurance scheme, and raising the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
Unions claim that a revised pension scheme was implemented on March 1, 2024, but a corresponding official notification has not been issued. They further allege that employees who retired after the proposed rollout date have been left without the expected benefits, and that there has been no meaningful dialogue with the administration for over a year.
The state government has said the strike will be treated as misconduct and that participating employees will not receive payment under the “no work, no pay” rule (Dies non). A directive has been issued to all department heads to remain present at their workplaces.
Nearly 3.5 lakh Class IV employees are expected to join the strike in solidarity, potentially disrupting administrative and educational services across the state if the deadlock continues. The agitation adds to a growing pattern of workforce unrest across Indian states in April, following the violent protests by Noida factory workers earlier in the month.
