Srinagar, Mar 8: The Government and the Employees’ Joint Consultative Committee are headed for a face-off after the JCC leaders rejected the government’s talks offer and decided to go ahead with the five-day agitation programme starting Tuesday.
Rejecting the Government’s invitation for talks, JCC - conglomerate spearheading the employees’ agitation - on Monday finalized its five-day agitation programme to be marked by a complete lockout of the offices and state-wide protests. Hectic parleys, on for last three days, between the government representatives and the JCC leaders have failed to break ice, sources said.
Sources that some top government functionaries had approached the employees’ leaders suggesting them to call of the strike “as the government was committed to concede their demands as soon as the resources were available with it”.
It was reliably learnt that a high level team comprising Khursheed Ganai Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister, Basharat Dar Commissioner Secretary GAD and Finance Secretary, Sudhanshu Pandey were holding deliberations with a section of union leaders in Jammu.
“The dead-lock, however, continued as the union leaders refused to call off the strike”, sources, preferring not to be named, told Greater Kashmir.
“Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, in a statement in state Legislative Council, had made the stand of government clear on the issue pertaining to the employees”, a senior government officer said adding that the government was committed to release the arrears of sixth pay commission “as soon as the resources were available to meet the financial implications”.
“The proposal to enhance the retirement age of the employees was also under due consideration of the government and the chapter has not been closed till date”, he added. “There are several other issues linked to the matter and we are examining them”, he said adding, “The employees have, however, were heading for strike, a move not only illegal but unjust as well”.
JCC has called for state-wide lockout of all the government and semi-government offices beginning tomorrow for five days - up to March 13. Around 4.5 lakh employees would stay out of the offices and would protest on roads to demand complete implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendations, a JCC spokesman said.
JCC leader and President Employees Joint Action Committee (Q), Abdul Qayoom Wani, told Greater Kashmir that they were invited for negotiations by the government “but we rejected the talks offer.”
“We asked the government to tell us the grounds on which they want to negotiate with us. But they wanted us to call off the strike, which we refused to do. After our refusal, the Government didn’t press for negotiations,” Qayoom said.
According to sources, the Government had approached the JCC leaders through Khurshid Ahmad Ganaie, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Commissioner/Secretary General Administration Department Basharat Dhar.
JCC held a high level meeting in the summer capital to give the final touches to its programme. After two days of strike, Qayoom informed, the employees would stage protest demonstrations in all the 22 districts of the state.
“On March 11 and 12 the employees will stage protest rallies in their respective districts. They will present memoranda to the concerned District Development Commissioners,” he said.
On the last day of the programme, March 13, JCC has called for grand rallies in Jammu, Ladakh and Srinagar. “In Srinagar the employees would march from the old secretariat to press enclave; In Jammu they would March from Eidgah to the secretariat and in Ladakh protest march would be held outside DDCs office,” Qayoom said.
“We have formed a control room in Srinagar Municipal Corporation here which will work round the clock on all the five days to deal with any untoward incident,” Qayoom said.
The employees, since early last year, have been demanding implementation of the sixth pay commission recommendations, release of arrears, enhancement in retirement age from 58 to 60, increase in housing rental allowance, regularization of contractual employees and release of CLOA. After incessant protests throughout last year, the government reached an agreement with the employees August last year. But the Government failed to implement the agreement resulting in fresh tussle between the employees and the state.
Qayoom said if government didn’t accept their demands in the five days of strike, the employees would go for an indefinite strike.
“We can’t move back from this point. The government will have to address our demands or indefinite strike is on the cards,” he said.
GEC SUPPORTS STRIKE
JK government employees’ conference on Monday extended support to the strike call given by Joint consultative committee.
The group headed by Ishtiyaq Ahmad Beigh and general secretary Deen Muhammad Gadda said they completely support the call “and we will observe complete shutdown on the given days.”
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