MSSA turns down meet invite from CS
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, January 15 2019: As announced earlier, members of the Manipur Secretariat Services Association (MSSA) will take mass casual leave on January 16 and 17.Even as the Chief Secretary sent a written invitation for a meeting with MSSA at 3 pm today, none came for the meeting.

Notably, the MSSA sent a letter to the Chief Secretary on January 10 informing that they would take mass casual leave on January 16 and 17 followed by indefinite cease work strike from January 23 against the Government's failure to fulfil their genuine demands even after waiting for a very long time.

Some of the demands of MSSA include release of due 11 per cent DA, entitlement of productivity linked bonus to Secretariat employees, filling up of vacant posts which must be filled up through promotion, renaming of Office Assistant and Senior Office Assistant as Secretariat Assistant and Senior Secretariat Assistant respectively, adoption of Rs 1900 as grade pay for Grade IV employees, and adoption of Rs 4600 and Rs 4800 as grade pays for ASO and SO respectively.

The Chief Secretary's Private Secretary invited MSSA to a meeting regard ing their demands at 3 pm today in the Chief Secretary's office chamber but no representative of MSSA came to the meeting, informed a source.

However, one spokesman of MSSA told The Sangai Express that they received the Chief Secretary's invitation after 3 pm.

Even though the initiative for dialogue is a positive move, the same initiative is too late, said the spokesman.

Any meeting notice should be given in advance so that members of MSSA can discuss all the issues among them first, said the spokesman.

The Government's invitation for meeting looked like an appeasement move.

That was why MSSA declined the invitation, he continued.

MSSA declined the invitation not because they did not respect the Chief Secretary but it was aimed at sending a clear message that MSSA condemns the Government's move to persuade the employees at the 11th hour from going ahead with their scheduled agitation, he continued.

After MSSA had declined the meeting invitation for 3 pm, the Chief Secretary's office intimated MSSA that the meeting may be held a few hours later.

But MSSA sent a letter to the Chief Secretary informing that time was running short and they would not be able to attend the meeting, added the source.

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