Works in various Government departments were adversely affected due to ongoing indefinite period strike of the State Employees' Joint Council Uttarakhand (SEJCU) on Friday.
Irked over negligent attitude of the State Government towards their 26-point charter of demands, lakhs of Government employees of various departments under the banner of SEJCU continued their State-wide protest on the second day in Dehradun and other district headquarters. The protesters warned that they will rally to Secretariat on Saturday unless government releases government order for fulfillment of their demands.
Due to Government employees boycotting work, Government offices bore a deserted look while members of the public visiting these offices for getting various tasks done had to return disappointed. The association State president Prahlad Singh said that State Chief Secretary called up a meeting with association members to discuss their pending demands on Friday evening. The SEJCU has decided to continue its protests unless government releases the sought GO, he added.
Singh further said, "We have submitted several memorandums demanding redressal of pending demands addressed to the Chief Minister through government officers earlier but no action has been taken towards fulfillment of our demands. We were compelled to carry out indefinite strike across the State."
He further said that emergency services have been kept out of protest and if the government continues to remain apathetic to their demands, the protesting Government employees will bring the emergency services to a halt in Uttarakhand from October 21. Singh claimed, "We are being supported by various departments including Municipal Corporation Employee Federation, Fourth Class Employee Federation, Industry Department Employee Union, Water Corporation Employee Union and other department unions."
Works in Government offices were negatively affected as protesters went on an indefinite strike on Friday. In place of reaching their respective offices, the employees reached at their respective protest sites across the state and those visitors reached the government offices had to return back empty handed.
Singh alleged the State Government of observing double standards by providing more than half a dozen promotions to officers and only three to the employees. The seventh pay commission has been announced but during the past two years the State Government has failed to redress the pay anomalies,"
he said. Their demands include the removal of pay anomalies among State Government employees, timely promotions, fixing the age limit for state employees at 62 years and other demands. Singh said that the association has decided to carry out rally from district headquarters on October 21 and a memorandum addressed to
Chief Minister will be submitted to district magistrate concerned while in Dehradun, rally will be carry out from Parade ground to Secretariat on the same day. On October 23, a rally will be organised from Parade to Congress Bhawan and a memorandum will be submitted to PCC president Yashpal Arya.