GULBARGA: The Karnataka State Government Employees' Association led by K. Sippe Gowda on Tuesday demanded that the Government announce an interim relief of 20 per cent of existing basic pay and 50 per cent of dearness allowance immediately pending the final report of the Fifth Pay Commission.

District association president Suryakant Kadam and general secretary B.S. Desai told presspersons here that the executive committee of the association, which met in Bangalore on Monday, decided to give the Government time till November 1 for the payment of interim relief. Government employees will launch an agitation if the Government and the Pay Commission fail to take a decision on the matter, they said.

Mr. Kadam said the association on Monday submitted to the commission its demand for correcting anomalies in pay scales between State and Union Government employees and the new pay-scale proposals. There is quite a difference between the monetary benefits of State and Union Government employees ranging from 8 to 45 per cent, he said.

Mr. Kadam pointed out that the pay scales of government employees in the State were among the lowest in the country. Therefore, the Pay Commission should not delay announcing its recommendations and the Government should implement them in full, he said.

He said the association will not be participating in the all-India strike called by central trade unions protesting against what they term the anti-labour policies of the United Progressive Alliance Government.

The central trade unions have not consulted the association or asked it to participate in the strike. Hence, the association has decided not to join the strike.

Appeal to employees

Mr. Kadam appealed to all government employees not to participate in the strike. The State Government has, by means of a notification, prohibited its employees from participating in the strike or going on mass casual leave as proposed by the rival Karnataka State Government Employees' Federation.

The association, however, does not agree with the notification preventing government employees from participating in the strike, he said. The association is of the view that the Government Employees Federation is not a recognised union and it is not authorised to mislead employees and make them participate in the strike, he added.

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