State govt employees to go on strike from March 9

LUCKNOW: Several lakh employees of the state government will go on strike from March 9 in protest against their long pending demands. The strike was proposed on February 23 but it was postponed after chief secretary Alok Ranjan, assured the council to take up the issue.

LUCKNOW: Several lakh employees of the state government will go on strike from March 9 in protest against their long pending demands.

The State Employees’ Joint Council, Uttar Pradesh, an umbrella organisation of around 200 employees’ union, has given a call for the statewide strike.

The employees have been demanding cashless medical facilities at prominent hospitals, house rent allowance in accordance with the central government employees and payment of pending pension dues, among other things.

The strike was proposed on February 23 but it was postponed after chief secretary, state government, Alok Ranjan, assured the Council to take up the issue with the government.

Around 17 lakh employees of the state government would go on strike if the state government fails to address their pending issues.

“Despite several assurances by the state gover nment to address our demands, nothing has changed. All our issues are yet to be addressed,” Hari Kishore Tewari, president, State Employees’ Joint Council, UP, told media here on Sunday.

“The strike was proposed on February 23 but at the assurance of chief secretary it has been post postponed till March 8. If our demands are not met, employees will proceed on strike from the next day (March 9),” said Tewari.

It was on July 23, 2015, that lakhs of employees of the state government went on strike on the same issues.

With just a year left for assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, the state government is likely to face series of agitations by various employees’ unions.

AROUND 17 LAKH EMPLOYEES OF THE STATE GOVERNMENT WOULD GO ON STRIKE IF THE STATE GOVERNMENT FAILS TO ADDRESS THEIR PENDING ISSUES