FMPHW suspends strike for two months in J-K

The Female Multipurpose Health Workers (FMPHW) in Jammu and Kashmir Sunday announced suspension of its 62-day protest strike, claiming that the governor administration has assured them that their demands would be addressed within two months.

"We have decided to suspend the ongoing strike for two months on the assurance of K Vijay Kumar, advisor to the governor, who assured us that all our genuine demands would be addressed within shortest possible time," president FMPHW Neelam Kumari told reporters here.

Kumari, flanked by Medical Employees Federation president Sushil Sudan, said they met the governor's advisor on Saturday and held a marathon meeting with him to discuss their demands.

"He sought time and assured that all our genuine demands would be addressed within two months. Therefore we have decided to suspend the ongoing strike for the time being," she said.

Sudan said the health workers are on strike for the last 62 days and are demanding among other things release of wages which are pending for the last one year and regular monthly salary henceforth.

Meanwhile, senior vice chairman of Rahbar-e-Taleem teachers forum Bupinder Singh announced protest rally on the reopening of civil secretariat here on November 5 followed by indefinite hunger strike in support of the demand for providing 7th pay commission benefits to them.

"We suspended our agitation in support of 7th pay commission benefits last month on the assurance of the government that our demand has been accepted. However, we were denied the benefits as we received the salary for the last month as per the sixth pay commission," Singh told reporters at a separate press conference.

He said the governor administration was forcing them to come on the roads again and if their demand was not met by November 5, when the civil secretariat and other move offices will reopen here, all the teachers will take out a rally and encircle the secretariat building.

"The protest will be followed by indefinite hunger strike till the government comes up with a written assurance that the seventh pay commission benefits will be given to us," he said.