Agitation defered on governor’s ‘assurances’ in Jammu and Kashmir

Srinagar, Oct 16: The Jammu and Kashmir Employees’ Joint Action Committee (Q) today deferred its agitation on the “assurance” of the state governor over the implementation of 6th pay commission recommendations. 
 President EJAC, Abdul Qayoom Wani told Greater Kashmir that the employees’ demands were genuine and should be accepted at an earliest. He said the EJAC had recently called on chief sectary apprising him of their demands. “The chief secretary assured us all possible support,” Wani said.
 President EJAC said in their meeting with the governor, they had been assured of the implementation of the recommendation of the 6th pay commission. 
 President, Civil Secretariat Employees’ Union, Nazir Mir said, “Besides seeking the implementation of 6th pay commission, we are demanding financial package for the unemployed and regularization of the ad hoc employees.”       
 He said no discrimination should be done among the state and central employees.  To mention the centre has already implemented the recommendations of the 6th pay commission and the pay scales of the central employees have been increased. 
 The employees are also demanding increase in the retirement age from 58 years to 60 years, release of cost of living allowance (COLA), regularization of the services of ad-hoc, consolidated and contractual employees, and change in helpers’ designation.
 The employees are demanding that there should be a minimum wages of Rs 5000 to the daily wagers, and revival of sick PSUs should be the priority of the government.
 Wani said the government had been dilly-dallying to solve the employees’ problems. “Over the years, government has made scores of promises and entered into many agreements with us, but none of them has been fulfilled so far,” he said. 
 “But this time, we would go for massive agitation across the valley should the government fail to accept our demands. We would wait for 20 days for the committee decision,” Wani threatened.
 Meanwhile, in view of the governor’s “positive” response, the EJAC has appealed all its volunteers to attend their respective offices as usual and wait till the future programme is announced.