Jammu and Kashmir employees call off strike
By IANSWednesday, April 14, 2010
JAMMU/SRINAGAR - After the Jammu and Kashmir High Court declared the employees’ 12-day strike illegal, 4.5 lakh government employees across the state ended their work stoppage Wednesday. The employees have also been assured that their demands on salary arrears and retirement age would be met within three months.
“After the high court’s observations in Srinagar Tuesday, we have decided to call off our stir in the interests of the people,” Abdul Gafoor Dar, a senior leader of the Employees’ Joint Action Committee (EJAC), said Wednesday.
Dar said he and other leaders of the EJAC have appealed to “all our colleagues to join duty on April 15″.
The strike has also been suspended following assurances from state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah that demands on salary arrears and retirement age would be met within three months.
Khurshid Alam, president of EJAC, told reporters that the agitation has been suspended following assurances by the chief minister.
“We have decided to suspend the agitation on the assurances of the chief minister and hope all our arrested colleagues would soon be released by the government,” Alam said.
He also confirmed that the leaders of the striking employees have been invited for talks by the chief minister.
State government employees across Jammu and Kashmir were on strike for the past 12 days, demanding payment of arrears following a hike in salaries on the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission and for raising the retirement age from the present 58 to 60 years.
