J&K employees strike work, dozen injured in cane-charge

Musavirr Wani/Syed Amjad Shah

JAMMU/SRINAGAR, Nov 20: More then twelve protesting government employees were injured when police resorted to cane charge to prevent them from laying a siege of the civil secretariat here today. The protests were part of the one day strike call given by various unions of the employees both at Jammu and Srinagar.

About five lakh employees of Jammu and Kashmir today struck work in almost all government departments, including hospitals and educational institutions, demanding implementation of 6th Pay Commission Report, removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadre and increase in the retirement age. The call for strike had been given by Joint Consultative Committee alongwith some other organisations. Joint Consultative Committee is an amalgam of all gazetted and non-gazetted associations of the state besides unions of all three regions.

It was supported by all other unions of the employees across the state. The employees were protesting against the delay in implementing the agreement reached between government and various unions of the employees regarding the pay anomalies and retirement age issue. In Jammu, the protests were led by State Coordinator of Ram Kumar Sharma while in Srinagar; they were led by Khursheed Alam.

The agitating employees in Jammu gathered outside the exhibition ground and started proceeding towards the civil secretariat. They were shouting slogans against the governor’s administration.

When the agitating employees reached near the Shalimar Chowk, a strong contingent of police led by SP (City) Randeep Kumar tried to stop them from moving towards the civil secretariat. The agitators were urged not to violate section 144 which comes into force around the civil secretariat once the Durbar is in Jammu. Police officials maintain that when the employees did not heed to their pleas, they had to resort to use of “mild force” to disperse the agitators in which around twelve employees were injured.

Later, talking to mediapersons Ram Kumar Sharma condemned the action of the police and affirmed that the agitation of the clerical cadre would continue until their demands are not met. “They cannot browbeat us by the use of force. We are the backbone of state machinery and if our problems are not redressed, official work would not only suffer but come to a complete halt,” added Sharma. In Kashmir valley, emergency service in the hospitals and teachers on examination duty were exempted from the strike.

All the government offices were wearing a deserted look forcing even their higher-ups to take a break from the routine official work. However, an official of the General Administration Department while contradicting the reports of complete strike claimed “All the offices were not deserted.” Referring to the essential services, he said that employees associated with these services were present on their duties.

But at SMHS (Srinagar), the hospital staff was missing. Dozens of ill people had to leave towards their homes without any treatment. Mohammed Rafiq Bhat who was injured in a road accident approached SMHS hospital but had to return without any consultation.While talking to KTNS, he said, “I was injured in the morning. I reached the hospital but there was no one whom I could have consulted. I had to come back home and then get my wounds dressed by a local practitioner.”

Except Kashmir University, schools and colleges either remained closed or witnessed thin attendance. Meanwhile in other universities of the valley, attendance of scholars was negligible. Convener Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) of Jammu and Kashmir civil secretariat employees Nazir Ahmed said that the employees want speedy implementation of the report of 6th Pay Commission and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years. “Government of India approved the sixth pay commission for five million central government employees in august while the same is being delayed here,” said Nazir.

He threatened that if the state government fails to respond, agitation would be intensified. Senior union leader of employees Khursheed Alam said that strike in all government and semi-government departments across the valley was cent percent.

He added that all the five lakh employees joined the strike in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh region in support of their demands.“We had held three meetings with Governor N N Vohra on our demands, but nothing has come out so far”, he said adding the next step would be more forceful. He alleged that the administration was deliberately delaying the implementation of the promises made with the employees on implementation of 6th Wage Board recommendations and increase in the retirement age to 60 years from the present 58 years.

“We are being told that Election Commission of India (ECI) has not yet approved the recommendation of the state administration on this issue,” he said and added that the retirement age in the whole country was 60 years and there was nothing new in it.

When the state government could get approval of the ECI in transfer and other cases, why it cannot do so in this case, he questioned. He said there were other issues, including about daily wagers, contractual appointees and labourers which were also pending before the government.Meanwhile, president of Civil Secretariat (Non-Gazetted) Employees Union led by Farooq Ahmed Zargar held a meeting in the premises of Legislative Assembly.

He was joined by the leaders of Employees Joint Action Committee, Jammu and Kashmir Civil Secretariat Lower Grade Employees Union, State Motor Garages Union and Legislative Association and Council Employees Union. Speaking on the occasion, Showkat Ahmed Mir, Chand Bhat, Mohammed Afzal, Ghulam Mehdi, Mushtaq Hussain Khan, Abdul Majid Bhat, Ghulam Rasool, Mehraj-ud-din, Javed Ahmed and Farooq Ahmad urged the employees to forge unity among their ranks for achieving success in their struggle for the fulfillment of their just demands.

Nazir Ahmed Mir appealed the government not to go in for confrontation with the employees but to concede their demands without any further delay.

Those who addressed the gathering of protesting clerical employees included Mohamed Gafoor Dar, Balwan Singh Jamwal, Ganesh Khajuria, Sayeed Bano, Babu Hussain Malik, Dev Nand Gill, Popinder Singh, Jagmohan Sadhotra, Dharminder Singh, Balwinder Singh, Shahzadi Gill, Madan Sangral, Arik Singh Susan, Anar Singh, Susheel Pawar, Subash Chander Sharma, Krishan Singh, Muneer Ahmed, Ram Pal, Arun Moza, Rattan Doshi, Bharat Bhushan, Raj Nath Koul and Om Parkash Sharma. Besides, reports reaching here maintained that clerical employees of Ladakh gathered at the Leh Polo Ground under the leadership of Tahir Hussain, who in his address urged the government to implement the sixth pay commission recommendations without any further delay.