UTF vows to protect pension rights of all eligible employees
The United Teachers Federation (UTF) held a meeting in Vijayawada to celebrate the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for certain employees. The union vowed to continue advocating for the pension rights of all remaining eligible staff and to address other pending grievances.
Why it matters
Pension reform is a major point of contention between public sector unions and state governments, impacting long-term fiscal policy and labor relations.
Leaders of the United Teachers Federation (UTF) on Sunday (August 16, 2026) said that the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS) for employees appointed before 2003 was possible only because of the sustained struggle by the federation and vowed to continue their fight until the pension rights of all eligible employees were protected.
Speaking at a ‘victory meeting’ held in Vijayawada, the leaders recalled that the government had introduced the Contributory Pension System (CPS) for employees appointed after 2003 and said the federation had been opposing it from the beginning, demanding restoration of the OPS.
They said several employees who had been appointed before 2003 were initially denied the benefit of the OPS due to procedural and administrative issues. Following the federation’s sustained representations and struggles, the government eventually took steps to extend the OPS benefit to eligible employees.
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