Govt employees warn indefinite strike from Aug 27

Irked by what they term as endless dithering on the part of the State Government on conceding their demands, the Uttarakhand employees, teachers, outsource workers joint forum has decided to go on an indefinite strike from August 27. The forum claims that more than 10 lakh employees of all departments and corporations would join the strike, bringing the functioning of the Government to standstill.

Informing about the forum’s decision, the spokesperson of the joint forum of the employees, Arun Pandey told The Pioneer that the Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat had assured a delegation of forum which met him on May 24 that no reversionary action would be taken against any employee and all their demands would be looked into with an open heart. He reminded that the CM had constituted a committee headed by  the additional chief secretary Radha Raturi and sought one and half month to solve the issues of the employees.

“The committee has met only once and in that meeting too it discussed the agenda of the meeting of the chief secretary with the forum which was rejected by the employees. We have now given the notice of strike,’’ Pandey said.

Agitation action plan

a- July 26 to August 2- gate meetings for spreading awareness

b -August 3- candle march in all the district headquarters and a march to the secretariat in Dehradun

c -August 7- procession holding Mashals (torch rallies)

d- August 17- rally in Dehradun

e -August 23 to 25- three- day work boycott

f -August 27- indefinite strike

Major demands of Forum

The employees demand the benefit of three Assured Career Progression (ACP) and  also want that the teachers on Grade Pay `4600 should be provided a basic salary structure of `17140. They want that the ACP should be given with promotion at end of 10, 16, 26 years of service and for power corporation workers this benefit should be given at end of 9, 14 and 19 years of service. They also want benefit of all allowances as per the provision of VII pay commission.

The State Government employees want that they should be brought under U- health card scheme and pending arrears under VII pay commission should be paid without delay. The joint forum insists that all female employees who have crossed the age of 50 and male workers who are more than 52 years of age should be exempted from the provisions of the Transfers Act. They further demand the Indu Kumar Pandey wage committee be dissolved.