Srinagar, Jan 25: Breakaway employees faction, Jammu and Kashmir Employee’s Joint Action Committee, Monday called for a two day state-wide lockout of government offices next month to press for their demands regarding implementation of the pending sixth pay commission recommendations.
Senior leader of the Kashmir chapter of JKEJAC, Rafiq Ahmad Khanyari, told Greater Kashmir that the strike is being observed on February 16 and 17 and there would be complete shutdown of offices. He said the decision about the strike was made in a high level meeting of senior JKEJAC Jammu last week.
“Today senior leaders of JKEJAC’s Kashmir chapter met, wherein we discussed the developments of the Jammu meeting and decided to proceed on two day strike here as well. The actual decision about the strike had been made in the Jammu meeting itself but our today’s meeting was to take it to the grassroots level,” he said.
Creation of JKEJAC - a conglomerate of various trade unions and association across the state - was announced in a joint press conference of several trade unions here early this month. It is supposed to act as a platform for employees of the state wherefrom they can raise their demands in unison.
As per its leaders, JKEJAC came into being after the employees had felt that the apex body of employees spearheading the employees’ agitation, JCC, had turned “insignificant” with “its leaders sabotaging the agitation.” JKEJAC has been running a parallel agitation against non-implementation of sixth pay commission and other demands.
Khanyari said the two day strike was reiteration of their demands which include implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendation, enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60, regularization of daily wagers, release of housing rental allowance and other demands. Pertinently, the Government had agreed to the demands of the employees and had promised release of their arrears under sixth pay commission by October end. But it was not implemented resulting in fresh tussle between employees and the government.

Lastupdate on : Mon, 25 Jan 2010 21:30:00 Makkah time
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