Police Foils March by Workforce, JCC Calls Secretariat Gherao On May 9.
Srinagar: Over four lakh employees observed day-long token strike in
support of their demands even as police foiled a protest march by hundreds of them here on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Joint Consultative Committee—an amalgam of various employees unions—served government an ultimatum till May 07 to fulfill their demands and announced to go on a two-day strike beginning May 08 and Gherao the civil secretariat here on May 09 in case of failure on part of the administration.
The statewide strike called by JCC today evoked almost complete response across Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, a senior leader of the amalgam said.
The essential services including emergency services in hospitals had been exempted from the purview of strike.
In this summer capital, police used coloured water cannons and took into preventive custody over scores of employees as hundreds of them tried to march against failure of government to fulfill their demands.
Eyewitnesses said hundreds of employees led by JCC leaders including Abdul Qayoom Wani and Khusheed Alam assembled at Khalsa School near Jahangir Chowk here.
As the employees set off their march, they were intercepted by police. The cops used coloured water cannons to disperse them. However, protesting employees offered stiff resistance and refused to relent following which police took scores of them into preventive custody. Besides many leaders, police took into custody some women protesters as well, they added.
Talking to JCC senior leader and EJAC (K) president, Khusheed Alam said the protest rally was taken against the government failure to adhere to its written agreement with the employees on 15th of September last year.
The state government employees have been demanding enhancement of retirement age from the existing 58 to 60 years, regularization of daily wagers, ad-hoc and contractual employees, removal of pay anomalies as they exist between the state and the central government employees and release of DA.
“Government entered into a written agreement with JCC that it will form committees that will submit their report to it before March 31 this year. While one committee headed by CS was tasked to look into demand of enhancement in retirement age, the two others were formed to address regulation of daily wagers and third committee to deal with the issue of pay anomaly,†he said, adding, “Unfortunately the report is awaited.â€
He said that the employees will continue with their protest unless government fulfills their demands. “We have decided to observe complete strike on 08 and May 09. On May 09, we will gherao civil secretariat here.†The civil secretariat opens on May 07 in this summer capital after its closure in Jammu on April 27. Regarding today’s strike, he claimed it was cent per cent across the state. Reports of protest by employees were also received from Jammu and Ladakh districts.
