A one-day strike called by mid-day meal workers over their pending demands on Tuesday has cast uncertainty over meal arrangements at government schools across Ludhiana. While the education department says alternative arrangements will be made, school heads say they have little clarity on how the meals will be managed.
Deputy district education officer (elementary) Manoj Kumar has said the mid-day meal workers would themselves make alternative arrangements for the day. The workers, however, rejected the claim, saying they would not be responsible for arranging meals while participating in the strike.
The workers will take mass leave and hold a protest in Mohali as part of their one-day strike.
Parveen Kumari, district president of the Mid-Day Meal Workers’ Union, said they were protesting over several pending demands. “Before coming to power, the government had promised to double our honorarium, but nothing has happened so far. We are also demanding implementation of the ESI scheme, ₹5 lakh gratuity and a monthly pension of at least ₹9,000 after retirement,” she said.
At the school level, the lack of clarity has left principals and teachers considering last-minute alternatives.
Charanjeet Kaur Ahuja, principal of Government Model Senior Secondary School, Cemetery Road, said the school had not received any information about the strike. “If the workers remain absent, we will seek help from mothers of students living nearby to prepare the meals,” she said.
Sukhdhir Singh Sekhon, head teacher of Government Primary School, Moti Nagar, said the school hoped at least some workers would remain available. “We hope that not all workers go on strike, as running a school is all about teamwork,” he said.
Jagjit Singh Mann, district president of the Government Teachers’ Union and head teacher of GPS Mangli Uchi, said the strike could create difficulties for schools and students. He urged the government to hold talks with the workers and resolve their grievances. He also said the cooking cost for mid-day meals needed to be released immediately, warning that any further delay could eventually affect the functioning of the scheme.
Dharamjeet Singh Dhillon, officiating head of Government Senior Secondary School, Dhanansu, said the school was unsure how meals would be arranged in the absence of the workers.
This is not the first time schools have faced disruption during protests by mid-day meal workers. In July, on the first day after summer vacations, several government schools had to make last-minute arrangements after cook-cum-helpers stayed away from work during a statewide protest. Some schools hired substitute cooks or persuaded regular workers to prepare meals, while one government primary school served samosas to students after failing to find a replacement.