By NE NOW NEWS
Imphal: Normal functioning in government offices across Manipur, including the State Secretariat, remained severely affected for the second consecutive day on Tuesday as thousands of employees went on mass casual leave to press for a series of pending demands.
The agitation, jointly organised by the Manipur Secretariat Services Association, the Manipur Government Services Federation (MGSF) and the Manipur State Pensioners’ Union, led to low attendance in several departments, with only a few senior officials and contractual staff reporting for duty.
Employees staged a sit-in protest at Singjamei Chingamakhong in Imphal. Speaking to reporters, MGSF president L. Sarat alleged that repeated representations submitted by employees had failed to elicit any response from the government.
The employees’ bodies have put forward an eight-point charter of demands, including enhancement of the retirement age to 62 years, payment of Dearness Allowance and Dearness Relief at Central government rates, constitution of a State Pay Commission to implement the recommendations of the Eighth Pay Commission, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, declaration of all Saturdays as holidays, abolition of re-engagement of retired officials, a freeze on fresh contractual appointments and regularisation of existing contractual, casual and muster roll workers.
The unions warned that they would launch a non-cooperation movement and an indefinite cease-work strike if their demands remained unaddressed.
Meanwhile, the Manipur State Committee of the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) extended support to the agitation and urged the government to hold discussions with the employees’ organisations to resolve the issue.