Government school teachers stepped up their agitation against the Punjab Government on Saturday, burning copies of Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s August 27 post on the employees mass leave strike and a state government letter directing departments to identify employees absent from duty for possible action under the service rules.The protest by the Government Teachers Union (GTU), Punjab, came two days after nearly four lakh state government employees went on mass leave to press for their long-pending demands including the release of pending instalments of the dearness allowance (DA).The August 27, letter issued by the Personnel Department, amid the mass leave protest, said complaints had been received from public about inconvenience caused by officials not being present at government offices. It directed Administrative Secretaries and heads of departments to compile and submit lists of employees absent from duty to the Department of General Administration for “further necessary action” under the applicable service rules.The teachers union burnt copies of the letter, along with the Chief Minister’s post, outside the gates of several government schools across Jalandhar district. The protests were held at schools in Dhani Pind, Mao, Mianwal, Bilga, Rajewal, Kang Sahib Rai, Goraya, Khun Khun Kalan, Adampur, Nurmahal, Nakodar and Phillaur, among other places.In his August 27 post, the Chief Minister had said employees were an “important part” of the government’s family and that it was ready to listen to their legitimate concerns. He, however, also said talks and a strike could not continue simultaneously and that dialogue would be held only after the strike was withdrawn.Meanwhile, the union accused the government of adopting a pressure tactic instead of addressing employees’ grievances. The GTU leaders said teachers and other employees had been pursuing their demands through democratic means and would not be intimidated by warnings of action over participation in protests.“We will continue to raise our voice for our legitimate demands,” union leaders said, while demanding immediate talks with employees.The GTU has also sought the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, implementation of old pay scales in Punjab, restoration of the Assured Career Progression (ACP) scheme and the regularisation of contractual employees from various categories, besides the resolution of other pending demands.The GTU district president Karnail Phillaur, secretary Sukhwinder Singh Makkar and state leaders Teerth Singh Bassi and Baljit Singh Kular said the government should end its “confrontational” approach and resolve the pending issues through dialogue.The union warned that failure to address the demands would lead to further agitation.