Unfazed by the state government’s strict stance on the proposed mass leave programme of the united forum of employee unions on January 31, the employees are now determined to make the mass leave programme a huge success. Under the banner of Uttarakhand Adhikari/ Karamchari/ Shikshak coordination committee, the employee unions have decided to go on a mass leave on January 31. The committee has also given a call to all the employees to assemble at Parade Ground on February 4 for a mega show of strength. Meanwhile, the state government has toughened its stand on the proposed strike.
In a letter directed to all the heads of departments, the additional chief secretary, Radha Raturi has sternly directed that leave to any employee should not be granted under any circumstances on January 31. Notably, the government has imposed a complete ban on the strike. ACS Om Prakash also convened a meeting of all the secretaries, additional secretaries and the heads of departments at the state secretariat on Tuesday afternoon to take stock of the situation.
Unperturbed by the stance of the government, the coordination committee, the umbrella organisations of all the unions of employees, teachers and contractual workers of Uttarakhand Puva Sanik Kalyan Nigam Limited (UPNL) held a meeting in Dehradun and reaffirmed that all of 3.5 lakh employees would go for the mass leave programme on January 31 as decided earlier, come what may. Throwing a dare to the government, the agitating employees constituted a committee to ensure that the agitation plan proves a mega success.
Recently the state government had given its clearance to payment of allowances due to the employees under the VII pay commission. The House Rent Allowance ( HRA) of the employees was fixed at 5, 7 and 9 percent of the basic salary depending on the type of city the employee is posted. With it, the government abolished 15 types of allowances the employees used to receive. The employee associations which were waiting for the declaration of the allowances for long and putting pressure on the government to release them became enraged with this decision and declared agitation plan.
The employees want the HRA be given on the lines of the Union government where 8, 16 and 24 percent of HRA is paid to the employees.
The coordination committee has also released a 10 –point charter of demands to the government.
A prominent employee leader Arun Pandey said that the employees have now made up their mind to take their agitation to its logical end, irrespective of consequences.