The Hindu : National : Government staff, teachers’ strike today

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Tuesday, Oct 30, 2007
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Government staff, teachers’ strike today

NEW DELHI: Thousands of college teachers and government employees will go on a day-long countrywide strike on Tuesday demanding interim relief, revamping of the new pension scheme and lifting the ban on recruitment.

The strike, called by the Central Government Employees Federation, various State Government Employees Federations and teachers’ unions across the country, is supported by major trade unions, including the CITU.

The demands include regularisation of extra-departmental employees, ban on contract appointments and revision of price index among other things. The protesters said they had presented a 12-point charter of demand to the government earlier but no response came from the authorities, forcing them to go on strike.

Alleging that they were put to hardship due to the delay in the constitution of the Pay Commission, they demanded an interim relief from the government besides a modification of the new pension scheme which they termed as “anti-workers.”

The revision of price index is another demand raised by the protesters who said it did not reflect the “realities.”

Extending support to the strike, CITU president M.K. Pandhe said all trade unions, despite their political affiliations, would support the strike.

Accusing the government of failing to respond to the “genuine demands” of the workers, he said: “It is unfortunate that the authorities are unwilling to speak to the employees.”

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