Govt employees to go ahead with strike programme

Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), an amalgam of several employees unions, has criticised the state government for adopting a suppressive attitude towards employees.

Joint Consultative Committee (JCC), an amalgam of several employees unions, has criticised the state government for adopting a suppressive attitude towards employees.

HT Image

Talking to mediapersons on Wednesday, senior JCC leader Kulwant Singh said, "It is unfortunate that government has adopted a suppressive attitude towards employees. The JCC was hoping that the agreement signed between its leaders and the cabinet sub-committee will be implemented after September 27, as the latter had sought time till September 27."

He appealed to the employees across the state to observe complete lock-out/pen-down strike on October 4 and 5 to press government for implementing the agreement.

On Tuesday, during the first day of employees' five-day protest progamme, police foiled the protest march by employees towards the assembly complex, Srinagar, by detaining at least 30 employee leaders and dispersing others by using force. All the arrested leaders were later lodged in the Srinagar central jail.

Kulwant Singh demanded immediate release of arrested employee leaders, including Haji Ashar Bhat, Faiz Shabnam, Gulam Hamdard, Manzoor Pampori and others, to avoid confrontation.

The employees are stressing the government to implement the agreement signed with JCC on September 15, 2011, and July 8, 2012.

The government has issued a circular reiterating that the strikes by employees unions are illegal and will entail strict action, including imposition of no-work, no-pay rule, besides other punitive measures.