State government employees strike enters 3rd day

The activists of Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC) tried to stage a rally at Residency Road, but it was disallowed by the police after which nearly a dozen activists were detained and taken to the Kothibagh police station, they said.

Another group of employees tried to take out a rally from Maulana Azad Road, which was also thwarted by the police, they said.

As employees pressed for their demands, work in most government departments across the state remained affected on the final day of the three-day strike, which started on Thursday.

The three key demands of the strikers are enhancement in the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation of daily wagers in different government departments and removal of pay anomalies in the clerical cadre.

"Our demands are genuine and government cannot resolve this matter by what they are doing. Police action and arrests are not a solution. Government will be responsible for whatever repercussion this will have," EJAC president Khurshid Alam said.

The strikers had earlier made a failed bid to gherao the Civil Secretariat, the seat of the state government, here.

This is the second time that employees have gone on strike in a fortnight, the first one being for two days.