DA hike: BMS stages protest at Jantar Mantar to push demands — Minimum pension, OPS, labour codes on charter

DA hike: The RSS-affiliated Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) held demonstrations at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi today seeking to press the Centre over long-pending demands of employees, pensioners, scheme workers and unorganised workers, as per an ANI report.

The protest at Jantar Mantar aims to bring the demands directly to the national capital, with BMS members urging the government to initiate discussions and take concrete steps towards resolving the issues, the report added.

BMS in a statement said the protests are intended to push the government to take action on these issues and the demonstration at Jantar Mantar is expected to remain a key point of the organisation's campaign.

The call for nationwide protests come amid concerns raised by trade unions and workers' organisations over employment security, implementation of labour codes, pension and wages, as per the report.

What are the demands?

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the central trade union's national vice president and media in-charge Pawan Kumar said the key demands include a minimum monthly wage of ₹30,000 for unskilled workers, job security for contract workers, higher pensions and increased wage ceilings for employees' provident fund (EPF) and employees' insurance (ESI), PTI reported.

Check the full list of demands here:

• Announce a minimum monthly wage of ₹30,000 for unskilled workers.
• Minimum pension under Employees' Pension Scheme, 1995 (EPS-95) be increased to ₹7,500 and linked with Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) and Ayushman Bharat Yojana.
• It has demanded that the EPF ceiling be raised from ₹15,000 to ₹30,000.
• The trade union wants the ESI ceiling also raised from ₹21,000 to ₹42,000.

• Demanded an immediate resumption of the Indian Labour Conference. There has no meeting of the forum since 2015, Kumar added.
• Seeks equal pay for equal work and job security for contract workers. Kumar cited the Haryana Contractual Employees (Service and Security) Act, 2024 and rules notified in 2025 as a possible model.
• Kumar said the Haryana framework creates a “beneficiary employee” category under which contractual workers will not be designated permanent employees but will receive facilities similar to permanent employees.
• On gratuity, the BMS demands that the calculation period be increased from 15 days' wages to 30 days' wages without a ceiling.
• Demanded increase in the honorarium of Anganwadi, ASHA, Mid-Day Meal, NHM and other scheme workers.
• Provide strict punishment for contractors and manpower agencies involved in wage theft.
• The organisation also demanded a five-day banking system.
• Demanded implementation of pending wage agreements.
• Demanded that vacant government posts be filled.

• Demanded restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS).
• Opposes the Industrial Relations (IR) Code and Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions (OSH&WC) Code, for alleged “many anti-worker provisions”.
• Sought an exclusive policy for more than one crore scheme workers, saying most of them are skilled workers.

Resolution from Centre long delayed, says Kumar

Kumar said the government has promised to address the trade unions' concerns regarding the labour codes on 21 November 2025, but the concerns remain unresolved. He told PTI that the BMS held its national executive meeting in Ranchi between 26-28 July with 173 of the 180 members in attendance. He said that a consensus was reached to hold demonstrations on 17 August to press for demands.

The organisation will assess its strength after the protests before deciding its next course of action, he added.

(With inputs from Agencies)