Jammu: Work in government offices across Jammu and Kashmir was affected today due to a strike by the employees to press for their demands, including enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years.
The call for the state-wide strike was given by Employees Joint Consultative Committee (EJCC), an umbrella body of government employees in the state.
In Kashmir Valley, there was a complete strike in government offices, public sector undertakings and government-run educational institutes. However, some emergency services like hospitals were excluded from the strike.
The employees demanded immediate implementation of the agreement, signed between the state and the organisation on July 8, 2012.
“We appeal the state government not to delay the implementation of the agreement, otherwise, JCC will be compelled to launch a “decisive agitation” to get the demands fulfilled,” JCC senior leader Mohammad Gafoor Dar said.
EJCC, which is a conglomerate of various government employees' bodies and associations and represents over 4.5 lakh employees, had called for the strike today in support of their demands.
Besides enhancement of the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of daily and need-based workers who have been engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadre and budgetary support to sick public sector corporations for payment of wages to workers.
“There was a cent per cent response to the strike call. Every government office was closed including the civil secretariat,” EJCC leader Qayoom Wani said in Srinagar.
He said the government is continuing its “criminal silence” on the issues of the employees, so there was no option left other than to protest.
