The unions have raised 17 demands, including restoration of the old pension scheme for post-2005 recruits, clarity on the new system, and an end to external management of pension funds. While they remain open to dialogue, they said the strike will continue until concrete action is taken.The indefinite statewide strike called by Maharashtra government and semi-government employees began Tuesday, drawing participation from across districts.However, the strike caused no major disruption to essential services on the first day.Employee unions claimed that around 17 lakh workers joined the strike, including staff from state departments, zilla parishads, schools, and sections of the public health system.Participation was reported from Mumbai, Thane, Pune, Nashik, Sangli, Satara, Raigad and Nagpur, with protests held outside several government offices.In Thane, attendance at government offices dropped, affecting some public-facing services. In Navi Mumbai, Employees’ State Insurance Scheme (ESIS) staff in Vashi joined the agitation, while in Mumbai, a staffer at the legislators’ hostel also participated, raising slogans on the premises.Healthcare workers and teachers took part in parts of Mumbai and other cities, though officials said emergency medical services continued uninterrupted, with only some outpatient services affected.In the education sector, administrative work in government institutions was hit, but classes continued in several places.Story continues below this adPublic transport remained unaffected, and no law-and-order issues were reported.The strike, called by major unions including the State Government Employees’ Central Association and the State Government Group-D Employees’ Federation, centres on pension-related demands, recruitment issues, and other pending concerns.Union leaders said the key grievance is the delay in issuing detailed rules for the revised pension scheme announced in 2024.“Employees who retired after March 1, 2024, are not receiving pension benefits. Even temporary pensions have not been processed,” said Vishwas Katkar, a joint committee coordinator. Leaders said repeated representations had failed to yield results, prompting the strike.Story continues below this adThe unions have raised 17 demands, including restoration of the old pension scheme for post-2005 recruits, clarity on the new system, and an end to external management of pension funds. While they remain open to dialogue, they said the strike will continue until concrete action is taken.The state government, however, has warned of strict disciplinary action, stating that participation in the strike will be treated as misconduct and could lead to salary cuts. Departments have been directed to maintain attendance, deny leave, and seek police assistance where necessary to ensure normal functioning, especially in essential services.