Strike of UP govt employees enters 2nd day

In one of the biggest shows of strength and defiance, over 10 lakh employees of Uttar Pradesh government continued with their strike on second day today affecting official work, as parleys between striking unions and senior officials failed to yield result.
The unions are demanding removal of anomalies in salary and allowances for employees and restoration of the old pension scheme among others.
"A two-hour meeting with Principal Secretary Personnel Rajiv Kumar failed and the indefinite strike will continue," said Hari Kishore Tiwari, president of Rajya Karamchari Sanyukt Parishad.
"Kumar said that he will take up the issue with Chief Secretary Javed Usmani and will call us for further talks as soon as possible," Tiwari said.

The officials agreed on some seven to eight points but as orders have not been issued we will continue the strike, he said. "We will not call off the stir on the basis assurances," the union leader said.
Tiwari claimed that nearly 18 lakh employees of different departments, belonging to 250 small and big unions were participating in the strike which entered second day today.

Tiwari said that if the government does not concede to their demands some employees of essential services, including roadways, power and health would also join the agitation from November 15.
He claimed that stenographers association and ministerial staff of chief medical office today extended their support to the strike.

Work remained suspended in several offices, including Jawahar Bhawan, Indira Bhawan and health directorate here.
However, the Government claimed that the strike evoked mixed response.
The IG (Law and Order), Raj Kumar Vishwakarma said attendance in education and health departments was hit. "20 per cent of the employees in the education and health departments abstained from work," he said.