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| No breakthrough: Talks remain inconclusive | | Strike paralyses work in govt offices, PSUs | |
EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, Apr 3: The second round of talks between the Cabinet Sub-Committee and agitating employees today remained ‘inconclusive’ with the latter announcing to continue their strike till logical conclusion.
The Cabinet Sub-Committee, which held talks with employees’ factions separately, could do nothing but to reiterate its commitment to fulfill its promises made to the employees and to appeal them to call off their strike.
Meanwhile, normal work in all government offices and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) remained paralysed across the State on the first day of four day strike call given by the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC). While the Non-Gazetted Civil Secretariat Employees Association has declared to observe strike on April 5 and 6, another faction of employees, Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) has called for seven days strike from April 6.
The talks between Cabinet Sub-Committee and 12-member delegation of Non-Gazetted Civil Secretariat Employees Association, which started at around 6:00 p.m, lasted for over one hour but no breakthrough was achieved during the deliberations.
“Though the talks were held in cordial atmosphere, yet it did not yield fruitful results for the employees. The Government expressed its helplessness to generate resources for paying the arrears of Sixth Pay Commission and fulfilling other demands of the employees and reiterated that it would send an All Party delegation to the Centre urging it for financial assistance.,” Nazir Ahmed, president of the association told Early Times.
The Association has decided to go ahead with its proposed two-day-long strike commencing from April 5 and the next course of action would be decided thereafter. He, however, urged the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to personally intervene and resolve the “genuine” issues of the employees.
Soon after holding parleys with the Civil Secretariat employees, the Cabinet Sub-Committee invited the representatives of EJAC and the meeting lasted for nearly two hours.
“The talks which were held in good atmosphere remained inconclusive. Though the government reiterated its commitment of resolving the genuine issues of the employees, we asked the committee to implement cabinet decision and agreement agreed upon by all the employees' leaders on February 19, 2002,” Ram Kumar Sharma, Convenor EJAC Jammu Chapter said.
He informed, “We have decided to continue our strike and the next strategy would be chalked out on April 6.”
The JCC representatives who held talks with the Committee till late night also decided to go ahead with their proposed seven days strike as the government failed to offer them “something concrete.”
Meanwhile, work in all government offices and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) was affected today as government employees resumed their strike in support of their demands of release of sixth Pay Commission arrears and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
While emergency services were exempted from the purview of the strike, the Out Patient Department (OPD) services were also affected with para-medical staff staying away from their official duties.
The patients from far-off places had to face multiple problems due to closure of OPD services. Reports from different tehsil and district headquarters of the State said that the employees took out protest rallies and shouted slogans against the government. The protesting employees accused the government of backtracking from the commitment being made with their representatives.
In Jammu City, the main protest was held in the premises of SGMS Hospital where thousands of employees from different department assembled and raised slogans in favour of their demands.
Gafoor Dar, senior EJAC leader claimed that work in all Government offices and PSUs remained paralyzed throughout the state as all employees started four-day-long strike in all the 22 districts including Resident Commissioner’s Office and Kashmir House New-Delhi.
He accused the Government for backtracking from the commitment/agreement made with the employees’ representatives on August 19, 2009 and alleged that it has failed to fulfill the principally agreed demands of the employees.
The protesting employees warned the Government against the “anti-employees” and “anti-workers” attitude and appealed the administration to immediately concede the demands of the employees failing which next course of struggle would be announced.
The leaders resolved that their agitation would continue till the fulfillment of employees’ demands.
The employees have been demanding release of arrears of Sixth pay commission with effect from January 1, 2006, release of pending 5 per cent HRA, issuance of order for regularization of all temporary, adhoc, consolidated, contractual employees and daily rated workers before and after 1994, removal of pay anomalies of various cadres, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years and conversion of COLA into DA of PSUs.
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