In hot pursuit of 7th Pay for State Govt employees...JAC to launch cease work strike from today
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, March 21 2018: The JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO has announced that State Government employees would launch an indefinite cease work strike from tomorrow against the State Government's failure to implement the recommendations of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Speaking to media persons at their Babupara office this afternoon, JAC secretary general Laitonjam Biken recalled that during a meeting between representatives of the JAC and Chief Minister N Biren on March 7, the Chief Minister assured that he would exert strong pressure on Prime Minister Narendra Modi so that the Prime Minister announces implementation of the 7th Pay when he visited the State on March 16 .

However, the Chief Minister's assurance came to nought.

The Government's proposal to implement the 7th Pay based on the 15th Finance Commission's award is unacceptable to the JAC, Biken said.

He then asked the whereabouts of the money sanctioned by the 14th Finance Commission.

In hot pursuit of 7th Pay for State Govt employees...JAC to launch cease work strike

The 7th Pay is a legitimate right of employees and pensioners.

While discharging their duties, the employees would fight for their rights, he asserted.

From his words, it seemed the Chief Minister has been working in the interest of employees, workers, pensioners and teachers.

But all the demands which are related to good governance and devoid of any financial involvement have not been fulfilled till date, he lamented.

Aggrieved by such attitude of the Chief Minister and the State Government, the employees once again decided to launch an indefinite cease work strike from tomorrow, Biken said.

After the JAC had submitted a 22-point charter of demands to the State Government, the JAC and Chief Minister N Biren had met four times.

In the meantime, the JAC had met the Finance Minister, the Chief Secretary and the fitment committee.

During one such meeting with the Chief Secretary in January this year, the Chief Secretary stated that the question of 7th Pay is a political issue and the fitment committee has a limited role.

The fitment committee had calculated the amount that would be required in paying the 7th Pay and a report had been submitted to the Government.

It was up to the Government whether the 7th Pay should be implemented or not, the Chief Secretary reportedly told JAC representatives, according to the secretary general.

On the other hand, the Chief Minister repeatedly assured that the demand for implementation of the 7th Pay would be translated into action but Deputy Chief Minister and Finance Y Joykumar stated on the floor of the State Assembly that the State Government was not in a position to implement the 7th Pay.

BJP's vision document published ahead of the 11th Manipur Legislative Assembly election promised that the 7th Pay would be implemented if the party is elected to power but the same promise has not been fulfilled even as the BJP-led coalition Government has celebrated its first anniversary, Biken rued.

Out of the 19 States of India where BJP is in power, it is only Manipur where the 7th Pay has not been implemented, he said.

Even in Tripura where a BJP Government was set up only recently, the State's Cabinet has adopted a resolution to enforce the 7th Pay with respect to its employees and pensioners.

Assam too had already declared that the 7th Pay would be implemented.

As such, it is only Manipur among all the North Eastern States where the 7th Pay is still kept in abeyance, Biken said.

Notably, a general council meeting of the JAC held on February 25 set a deadline to the State Government to come up with an official declaration by March 21 for implementation of the 7th Pay.

The meeting further resolved to launch indefinite cease work strike from March 22 in.

case the Government fails to meet the deadline.