Central government employees hold protest; work unaffected

A section of central government employees today held protest in Delhi and some other places in support of their pay related demands ignoring Centre's warning of "consequences" against them for participating in it.
"There was a good response to the protest which was held at Jantar Mantar here and some other places in the country. Few hundreds employees participated in it," said Shiva Gopal Mishra, Convenor of National Joint Council of Action (NJCA), an umbrella body representing central government employees associations.
He said the NJCA will hold indefinite strike from February next year if the government does not implement its demand.

Central government employees were warned of "consequences" including deduction of wages and appropriate disciplinary action if they participate in today's country-wide 'dharna' called by the NJCA.
The secretaries of central government ministries were asked "not to sanction casual leave or other kind of leave to employees if applied for, during the period of the proposed strike and ensure that the willing employees are allowed hindrance free entry into the office premises".
"There is no affect of government's diktat. If they resort to such anti-employees activities, we will intensify our stir with all our might. We have right to raise our voice," Mishra told PTI.

However, officials in Personnel Ministry said the strike was not at all successful. "All the employees in Personnel Ministry and at other departments were working and it remains unaffected by the strike call," a senior official said.
There are about 50 lakh central government employees.
The NJCA has been demanding timely submission of Seventh Central Pay Commission's report and implementation of its recommendation in favour of the employees, among others.