Team News Riveting
Raipur, July 30
The Chhattisgarh government and the employees have come on a confrontation mode that had further widened with the former warning stringent action against the agitating workforce.
The general administration department on Friday issued an order to deduct the salary of agitating five lakh employees who were on strike for five days. The order also warned of disciplinary action.
The state government employees were on strike in support of their demands that included 34 percent dearness allowance, house rent allowance and seventh pay scale at par with the central government. Friday was the last day of the strike; the notice for which was given well in advance, a month ago.
The decision of the state government to take action did not stun the strikers. For, it was expected as the notification to this effect was issued way back in April 2006. The order termed employees’ strike illegal besides making a clause of salary deduction during strike period.
What came as a surprise was the government’s action on the last day of the strike. The authorities could have taken the action well in advance when the employees union had given notice for strike. Then, why did the state government swung into action on the day the strike was supposed to end?
It is reported that the employees would expand their agitation any time after August 15. The unions would be meeting on Sunday to give the proposal a final shape.
The government does not want the movement to go ahead and probably issued the order at this point of time to threaten the employees. Moreover, the government could also use the order as a tool to convince the employees to call off strike in the pretext of pulling back the order.
After all, the state government has started realizing the impact. The strike was called for five days but was extended following Saturday and Sunday. It had adversely affected the exchequer and the official work.
According to employee leaders, revenue of over Rs 12,000 crore has been affected due to the strike.
