THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Leading State employees and teachers' unions have come down heavily on the 2006-'07 budget for its failure to address their demand for pay revision effective from March 2002 and vowed to go ahead with their indefinite strike from February 23.

In its statement here on Friday, the Kerala NGO Union said the Finance Minister's statement that a decision on pay revision would be taken in consultation with political parties and service organisations is intended to sabotage the principle of revisions every five years. The budget is silent about DA arrears. The promise to restore DA and HRA of new recruits, taken away through an order on January 17, 2002, is a delayed statement of intention on the Government's assurance to employees at the talks on February 21, 2005. The promise on accident insurance for employees would involve no financial commitment on the part of the Government and was supposed to have been implemented in December 2005. The budget promises were intended only to create the impression that the Government has given many benefits to the employees and turn the people against them, the NGO Union said.

The Joint Council of State Service Organisations said the claim that in 2006-'07 the deficit is Rs.4,731.70 crores on account of wage revision, is baseless because the deficit during the current year is as high as Rs.4,493.75 crores.

The Kerala Gazetted Officers' Association, the Action Council Of State Employees and Teachers, Kerala NGO Sangh, the Federation of Employees and Teachers' Organisations, Kerala Government Employees Union and the NGO Front have also come down on the budget.

The pro-UDF Kerala NGO Association said it would not compromise on the demand for wage revision every five years, but welcomed the promise to implement wage revision from March salary.

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