The Hindu report

Central govt staff disappointed, call for strike on July 11

NEW DELHI, JUNE 29:  

Expressing “serious disappointment” with the NDA government for not accepting modifications suggested by them, the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), comprising 35 lakh Railway, Defence, Central government and Postal employees, has called for a strike on July 11.

“We have been pushed to the wall. The government has time till July 10 to reach a negotiated settlement with us,” Shiva Gopal Mishra, Convenor of NJAC, told reporters, seeking the Prime Minister’s intervention to quell “growing anger” among government employees.

Among other things, the NJAC is demanding higher minimum wages, restructuring of the National Pension Scheme, scrapping of the Bibek Debroy report on Railway restructuring, no FDI in Railways and Defence, regularisation of casual/contract workers. “Although there is justification of upward revision of minimum wage, the government has not done justice to the employees. Similarly, the multiplier factor has not adequately been revised,” said M Raghavaiah General Secretary, National Federation of Indian Railwaymen.

To decide the future course of action and prepare for the strike in “full swing”, the NJAC is slated to meet on June 30, M Krishnan, Secretary General, Confederation of Central Government Employees, announced. In a statement issued earlier this month after giving strike notices, the NJAC had said that it had been wanting “meaningful negotiation and settlement” of the issues. But, except hearing the leaders, the empowered Committee of Secretaries did not go further. “It acted as if it was powerless,” it said.