More than 10,000 government employees working under centrally sponsored schemes (CSS) in Mizoram began a three-day strike on Tuesday demanding regularisation.
H Lalengmawia, who assumed charge as chief secretary of Mizoram, has issued a stern warning to the protesting employees of ‘severe consequences’, including possible dismissal.
Lalengmawia, who is also the principal secretary, said the Mizoram government had held discussions with leaders of the All Mizoram CSS Employees Coordination Committee (AMCECC) and urged them not to proceed with the strike. The state government had already issued an office memorandum concerning the regularisation of CSS employees, he said.
“Despite repeated appeals to leaders of the AMCECC, they decided to organise a pen/tool down strike. The Department of Personnel & Administrative Reforms had issued an office memorandum for their regularisation as per the state government’s recruitment rules,” Lalengmawia said.
The AMCECC, which claims to represent over 10,000 members, has long been urging the state government to regularise their services.
“We had a meeting with H Lalengmawia. From the discussion, it was certain that the government has no intention of solving our issue. The office memorandum has so many checklists which cannot be met by us since there were no recruitment rules pertaining to our appointments years ago,” AMCECC chairman Malsawmtluanga Hauhnar said.
He also criticised the government’s move to enforce the CSS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and the ‘No Work No Pay’ policy on April 14, while talks were still ongoing. “This clearly outlined that the state government has no intention in meeting our demands which we have been raising for so many years,” Hauhnar added.
{{/usCountry}}He also criticised the government’s move to enforce the CSS (Conduct) Rules, 1964, and the ‘No Work No Pay’ policy on April 14, while talks were still ongoing. “This clearly outlined that the state government has no intention in meeting our demands which we have been raising for so many years,” Hauhnar added.
{{/usCountry}}Reiterating the administration’s stance, Lalengmawia said the government would be compelled to take strict measures if the strike continues.
“However sad it might sound, the government will resort to more stringent steps and the administration will have to go to the extent of dismissing the striking employees,” he warned.
According to official data, there are 10,654 CSS employees across 16 departments in the state. The school education department employs most of them (5,312), followed by the health and family welfare department (2,590). All employees under CSS, except the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan, have joined the strike.
Lalengmawia said while the office memorandum for regularisation has already been issued, adherence to a set of constitutional checklists was mandatory.