KL Report
SRINAGAR
The much awaited meeting between the employees union and the Government Friday failed to reach any conclusion making the employee leadership to issue fresh protest calendar.
Immediately after coming out from the meeting, the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC)–an amalgam of employee unions, issued a fresh protest calendar calling for five-day protest demonstrations commencing from October 1. JCC also accused the government of not shunning its traditional attitude towards the ‘miseries of the state employees.’
According to reports, the meeting started in the civil secretariat at 4.p.m with the presence of senior cabinet ministers including Abdul Rahim Rather, Taj Mohi-ud-din, Ajay Sadotra, Sham Lal Sharma, Nawang Ringzin Jora and Ali Mohammad Sagar. The senior bureaucrats including the Chief Secretary Mohammad Iqbal Khanday were present in the meeting. The meeting ended at 6 pm.
Abdul Qayoom Wani, JCC leader while talking to KNS said that their meeting cabinet subcommittee today failed as the Government asked for three months more for the fulfillment of pending demands of the employees. “The government actually wants to kill the time. They don’t seem to be serious in resolving our issues,” Qayom said. Among its various demands, employees unions seek enhancement in retirement age from 58 to 60 years, removal of pay anomalies and regularization of the daily-wage and casual labourers.
Meanwhile, the JCC leadership led by Wani issued the fresh protest calender to pressurize the Government to fulfill the demands of its employees. “We have issued the protest calendar from 1st to 5th of October 2013,” Wani said adding that on October 1, employees will protest in front of the secretariat while as the secretariat staff will protest inside the secretariat premises.
According to this protest calendar October 2, will witness candle light march by employees which will start from Sher-e-Kashmir Park and end at Chief Minister’s residence. On 3rd of October the employees will protest in front of the state assembly. Wani said that there will be a complete strike on October 4, 5.
Talking to KNS, Abdul Rahim Rather, minister for finance and head of the cabinet sub-committee said that he is surprised to know that JCC has issued a protest calendar. “It is news for me. I am surprised that despite agreeing to all of its demands, the JCC has resorted to misleading people.”
Rather said that on enhancement of retirement age, the government reiterated its stand that a final decision (whether to agree or reject) will be taken on this issue by the end of this financial year which ends in March 2014. Even we agreed that this decision will be taken by the end of December this year which was a fervent demand from the employees.”
The finance minister said that regarding regularization of daily wagers, the government agreed to consider the regularization of left over cases but only after going through the requisite formalities. “We have already conceded to this demand by regularizing some 56000 daily wagers. But we said that left over cases will be also considered but before that some formalities are must.”
Regarding the regularization of causal labourers, Rather said: “The JCC demanded that government should chalk out some scheme for regularization of casual labourers. The government agreed saying that it will issue a letter to all the department by or before September 30 to provide the number of causal labourers working therein. It is only after we get the requisite date including the number of causal labourters working in different department that we will be able to chalk out a scheme for their regularization. So this demand was also met,” rather said.
He said he was shocked to know that despite a cordial response from the government side, why the JCC issued a protest calendar. “It is this government only which has met around 15 major demands of the employees. The chief minister is himself interested to fulfill the pending demands of the employees that is why he has constituted this cabinet sub committee comprising of senior minister. I suppose the JCC should have some regard for this committee but unfortunately they have proved me wrong,” he said.
Asked what will be the response of the government after JCC issued the fresh protest calendar, the finance minister said that government will consider all options available to it. “If the employees continue with this confrontationist attitude, we will be compelled to consider all options available to us. We cannot allow employees to take people hostage to their few demands. Despite facing stiff opposition to their pending demands particularly the enhancement in retirement age, we had obliged them that the government will actively consider it in due course of time,” Rather said.
