Jammu, June 5: Employees are bracing up for a major showdown with the Jammu and Kashmir Government in coming days over the issue of release of pending arrears of 6th Pay Commission.
Source said the leaders of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) are making efforts to bring all the employees unions under a common platform for launching a massive agitation across the state in July.  
 They said the ‘Srinagar Chalo’ call by the EJAC on June 28 for holding one-day convention is the first attempt to unite the employees under a common banner.
 “In Srinagar convention a common calendar would be chalked out for the massive agitation from July,” sources said.
 Pertinently the state cabinet had last year announced the roadmap for payment of 50 percent arrears of the 6th pay commission but it was rejected by the employees’ bodies.
 Recently, a group of nearly 30 organizations formed the Government Employees Joint Action Committee (GEJAC), claiming that it represents all the workers in the state. “However, many small unions are fighting against the apathy of the government at their own levels, which is the major cause of disarray among the employees. Government is buying time and has no intention to fulfill its commitment. The state is following divide and rule policy and now employees have decided to launch fresh round of protests at all the district and tehsil headquarters against the apathetic attitude of the Government,” said Ram Kumar, a senior leader of GEJAC.
 The employees are also demanding removal of pay anomalies, extension of retirement age by two years and increase in the House Rent Allowance (HRA) in tandem with the Central Government employees.
 “The major issue is that of the daily wagers and ad hoc workers who are awaiting regularsation in the various departments”, said Ghulam Ahmed Rather, the union member.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Jun 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Jun 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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