KL Report
SRINAGAR
To avert the employees proposed state wide strike call which has been given by Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) on August 23 in support of their demands, state government Tuesday appealed the employees to reconsider their call as their demands are under examination.
“As for as the demands of government employees are concerned no breakthrough is possible yet but their demands are under examination. The employees should think that by giving these strike calls they are making people to suffer,” Chief Secretary Muhammad Iqbal Khanday told KNS.
Pertinently Jammu and Kashmir government employees had announced to hold a state-wide strike on August 23 in support of their demands. The employees are demanding enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularization of daily and need-based workers who have been engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadre and budgetary support to sick public sector corporations for payment of wages to workers.
The confrontation between the government and employees has been going on for past several years now. Though in 2012 the JCC leaders signed a pact with government over its demands but later they claimed that the government backtracked from its promise.
Meanwhile, Minster for Rural Development, Ali Muhammad Sagar told KNS that JCC leaders should avoid the path of confrontation and enter into talks with the government as the government is examining their demands.
“Common people are getting affected due to employee’s strikes. Government is open for talks to sort out the issues with the employees. They should come forward. The employees draw salaries even in hartal days. It is the common people who suffered. Such a mindset is legally and morally wrong. The JCC leaders must not politicize the issue of employees,” he said.
Sagar added it is unfortunate that employees are giving such call when government is busy to restore normalcy in Jammu region. “Rather than giving support to the government they are making problems. They should call off their call as government is on job to fulfil their demands,” he added.
