Pension sceme: Pro-Left govt staff on strike

Government employees and teachers affiliated with pro-Left unions today went on a day-long nationwide strike demanding revamping of the new pension scheme, announcement of interim relief and lifting the ban on recruitment.

"The strike is a grand success. About 80 per cent of the employees and teachers across the country have not reported for work," C C Pillai, working president of Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, claimed.

The strike is jointly called by Confederation of Central Government Employees and workers, All India State Government Employees Federation, State Government Teachers Organisation and All India Federation of College Teachers Associations.

Pillai threatened the unions will go on an indefinite strike if the government "did not heed to the voice of thousands of employees".

He said the employees 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.

The demands include regularisation of extra-departmental employees, ban on contract appointments and revision of price index among other things.

Alleging that they were put to hardship due to the delay in the constitution of the Pay Commission, they demanded a Rs 1,000 interim relief 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 protestors, who said it did not reflect the "realities".

Other demands include withdrawal of the proposal to bring in the PF Regulatory Bill in Parliament and appointment of a commission for revision of pay of Extra Departmental employees.