Despite CM's appeal, government employees' strike paralyses Manipur

The employees of the Manipur Secretariat on Monday continued their cease-work strike as their demand for the implementation of the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission is yet to be fulfilled, despite an appeal from Chief Minister N. Biren Singh.

As the employees are now "paid the enhanced 7th Pay Commission" they should call off the strike and report for duty, Singh said.

The Chief Minister had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Manipur Secretariat Services Association, the Manipur Government Services Federation and the Manipur State Pensioners' Union on June 8 in an effort to have the strike called off.

However the employees who are members of the All Manipur Trade Unions Council (AMTUC) and All Manipur Government Employees Organisation (AMGEO) were not signatories to the MoU.

Singh said: "We had invited both these groups but they refused to participate."

L. Biken, General Secretary of the Joint Administrative Council of AMTUC and AMGEO said: "Our condition is that the government should first withdraw the arrest warrants issued against our leaders. But it refused to do so making it impossible for the leaders to attend the negotiations."

There was no question of withdrawing the strike since "the MoU is against our demands", Biken added..

Power and water employees have also threatened to join the strike.

--IANS

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