ITI employees threaten ceasework strike
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, October 05 2011: Demanding regularisation of service and release of 10 months pending salary among others, ITI Contract Employees Welfare Association (ICEWA) has served an ultimatum to the Government of Manipur to honour the demands within three days failing which ceasework strike would be launched.

speaking to reporters on the sideline of a sit-in-protest at the Takyel complex of ITI today, ICEWA secretary T Sashi said from a humble beginning of the first ITI established in Takyel, the number of such institutions have reached 11 with over 300 employees working in different ITI units spread across the State.

Informing that out of the total strength of employees, 75 percent, including some enrolled in 2003 are engaged on contract basis, the secretary said from about Rs 3000 to Rs 4000 salary ceiling, the scale has increased to Rs 5000 to Rs 7600 after the 6th Pay came into effect.

Despite implementation of the 6th Pay Scale employees engaged on contract basis have been denied their salary for the last 10 months, Sashi maintained and added that plight of the employees along with demand for service regularisation have been intimated to the Minister concerned and the Chief Minister at an earlier occasion.

Further noting that the issue had figured at the last assembly session with no less than the Chief Minister assuring to look into the matter, he said employees on contract basis were about to protest callous attitude of the Government on September 7 but deferred the same for a week following an intimation from the Government of Manipur.

However, with the State Government seemingly retracting from its commitment to address the issue the ITI employees under the banner of ITI Contract Employees Welfare Association (ICEWA) resolved to launch agitation beginning with the sit-in-protest today which will be followed by an even more intense movement including ceasework strike.

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