JAC lays down riders for negotiation
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, June 05 2018:
The JAC of AMTUC and AMGEO which is spearheading the ongoing cease work strike of State Government employees on the demand for 7th Pay has laid down certain conditions if any meeting must be held between them and the State Government.
Speaking to media persons today, JAC secretary general Laitonjam Biken said that warrant of arrest and show cause notice served to the JAC's core committee and executive council should be withdrawn and transfer orders of heads of departments issued in connection with the cease work strike should be revoked first.
Pointing out that the cease work strike launched since March 22 has completed 75 days today, Biken said that the JAC would welcome invitations from the Chief Minister for talks.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister sent a formal letter yesterday inviting the JAC to a meeting.
On receiving the invitation, an emergency meeting of the executive council was held yesterday itself and the meeting reaffirmed the resolutions adopted earlier in connection with the invitations for separate meetings with the Chief Secretary on April 12 and the Deputy Chief Minister on May 30.As reaffirmed at the emergency meeting yesterday, the Government should first withdraw the warrant of arrest, explanation call and show cause notice served to the core committee, executive council and office bearers of the JAC.
Moreover, transfer orders of heads of departments should be revoked first before a meeting is held between the Government and the JAC, Biken said.
Even though the JAC asked the Government to give a reply by today to its conditions for holding a meeting, there was no positive response from the Government.
Saying that volunteers of the JAC have gone to far off places of both the hills and the valley to mobilise employees for more intense modes of agitation which would be launched from tomorrow, Biken appealed to the Government to give a formal letter to the JAC one day in advance if there should be a meeting.
Advance invitation or intimation is necessary for any meeting with the Government in order to inform members of JAC's branches located at different districts, he said.
The JAC launched the first agitation for the 7th Pay on October 8, 2016.Even though the previous Congress Government could not implement the 7th Pay, BJP, through its Vision Document, promised that the 7th Pay would be implemented with respect to State Government employees and pensioners, provided BJP is elected to power.
The Vision Document was-released by none other than Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on February 19,2017 at the MFDC Hall, Biken said.
Although a BJP-led Government had been installed in the State and the JAC had held four rounds of meeting with the Chief Minister on the demand for 7th Pay, but nothing concrete has been done so far.
In the meantime, Chief Minister N Biren announced through media that the BJP State executive meeting held at Hotel Imphal on April 19 this year adopted a resolution on the demand of 7th Pay and the 7th Pay would be implemented shortly after constituting a financial expert committee.
It is rather surprising that Chief Minister N Biren raised the BJP State executive meeting's resolution to the Union Minister of State for Finance only yesterday in the form of a DO letter although the same resolution was adopted on April 19, Biken remarked.
The Union Minister of State's remark that he came to know about the issue of 7th Pay and the ongoing cease work only yesterday offended all the members of the JAC.
The JAC general secretary pointed out that they submitted a memorandum regarding the ongoing strike to the Prime Minister on March 8 this year.
The memorandum sought implementation of the 7th Pay by granting a special financial package to the State Government but there has been no response till date, he decried.
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