Assam employees reject Govt. claim, to agitate, Manipur employees warn of cease work from Jan 16

Assam
The Sadou Asom Karmachari Parishad (SAKP) today dismissed the claim of Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that the State employees have been paid at par with the Central Government employees as baseless. It has also described the latest State Pay Commission report as a devious document. This Pay Commission has followed only the model of the basic pay structures of the Central Government while preparing its report, alleged the employees’ body.

In a statement here, the SAKP has also announced agitational programmes in protest against the failure of the State Government to pay its employees at par with the Central Government employees.

According to the SAKP agitational plan, its members would stage dharna at the headquarters of the districts and sub-divisions on January 6 and the presidents and general secretaries of its district units, along with the office- bearers of its central executive committee would stage a sit-in demonstration at Dispur Lastgate on January 11.

The SAKP, in its statement, reiterated the demands for removing the discrepancies of the State Pay Commission report. It has resented that besides the discrepancies already pointed out by it in the report, the Pay Commission failed to recommend time scale promotion for the benefit of theemployees.

But the Chief Minister despite being informed by the SAKP in writing, has cared least to redress the grievances of the employees and has now started claiming that the State employees are being paid at par with the Central Government. This is unfortunate, said the SAKP in its statement and dared the Chief Minister to establish the veracity of his claim at a meeting with its representatives.

It also expressed serious resentment over the reported warning issued by the Chief Minister that any attempt by the employees at registering their protest through agitations against the pay structures suggested by the Pay Commission would be suppressed with firm hand. It said that theemployees are bound to protest any move to deprive them of their legitimate dues.

The Assam Secretariat Services Association and the Guwahati Zilla Karmachari Parishad have extended support to the agitational programmes announced by the SAKP in support of its demands for removing the discrepancies of the Pay Commission report etc.

Manipur
The Joint Administrative Council (JAC), an apex body of the employees of Manipur government, has resumed its campaign for various demands and warned of ceasework strike as they have no confidence of getting their demand fulfilled, which is adopting recommendation of the sixth Pay Commission report within the deadline set by them on January 15 .
The JAC of All Manipur Trade Union Council (AMTUC) and All Manipur Government Employees Organisation (AMGEO) on December 31 last submitted an ultimatum to the Manipur Chief Minister with a warning of launching ceasework strike from next day if the government fails to issue order with regard to the implementation of the sixth Pay Commission's recommendation by January 15 .

Government failure to take note of the long pending demand of implementation of the recommendation of sixth pay structure will compel employees of departments under the Manipur government to cease work, a statement of the publicity and information secretary, L Priyobrata stated.

The JAC members are launching its campaign from department to department from today with regard to the ultimatum served by them to the Chief Minister.

They campaigned today to the offices located in Imphal area.

Governments of the neighbouring states of Assam and Mizoram had already announced switching the pay structures of sixth pay commission.

Chief Minister of Manipur, O Ibobi Singh, on April 2009 during an election rally had assured that the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations would be implemented in the state from 2010 and backlogged salary of government employees would also be disbursed from April 13 .

He said that the government is aware of the protest by the government employees and added that the Sixth Pay Commission recommendation was delayed as state resources were very low.

But after the 13th finance commission awards in 2010 it should be possible to implement the recommendations.

Source : The Assam Tribune and E PAO.