Karnataka employees withdraw strike as govt announces 17% basic salary hike

The state government employees in Karnataka on Wednesday withdrew their indefinite strike after the Basavaraj Bommai announced a 17 per cent hike in basic salary as interim relief. The government also constituted a committee to discuss the old pension scheme (OPS).

The employees had demanded interim relief of a 40 per cent increase in basic salary and revision of salaries as per the 7th Pay Commission.

On their demand to scrap the New Pension Scheme (NPS) and revert to the OPS, the state government said the committee under an additional chief secretary would study the feasibility. The decision to withdraw from the indefinite strike, which commenced today was announced by the Karnataka State Government Employees Association President C S Shadakshari. 

Shadakshari had earlier said that the employees were happy with the meeting.

The protest disrupted the government services in the state except for the essential services as over 80,000 employees extended their support to it. The employee associations claimed that they worked during the pandemic and some of them had also lost their lives.

Earlier, eight meetings were held between the association and the chief secretary. But there was no result.

"Will a solution emerge from just one meeting with the CM? And, what if the government issues an order fulfilling our demands in the morning? We don't know," Shadakshari had said after another meeting on Tuesday. they had decided to continue their protest.  

(With agency inputs)