Manipur secretariat employees launch cease work strike over salary

Imphal: Manipur secretariat employees under the umbrella of Manipur Secretariat Services Association (MSSA) and Manipur Secretariat (non-ministerial) Driver’s Association on Tuesday launched cease work strike as state government failed to fulfil their demands.

The secretariat associations had submitted a memorandum with a list of demands to chief minister N. Biren Singh on August 3.

The memorandum was an ultimatum served to fulfil the charter of demands made on the memorandum of agreement signed on April 21 and its zero outcome.

The associations say they have been waiting for a good results out of it for the last 3 months however, no development has come up so far.

The charter of demands includes equal pay for all secretariat assistants; 3-tier system in pay scales of drivers; filling up of all promotional vacancies; payment of dearness allowance (DA) 28 per cent; grade pay rectification in respect of ASO, SO, private secretaries etc.; and re-designation of group-D employees.

General secretary of MSSA, Purujit Lairikyengbam said the associations were told to hold a meeting with Manipur Government Services’ Federation (MGSF) and Manipur State Pensioners’ Union (MSPU) in May second week, but it was not done so.

He said even during the pandemic the central government has paid11 per cent DA with effect from July 1 this year completing 28 per cent whereas state government employees are stuck at 7 per cent which is a large gap.

With the price hike in petroleum products and essential commodities the state government should fulfil the demands immediately, he added.

He said employees under the umbrella of MSSA attend their departments as normal but no office work was carried out. He said the association feels disappointed against the government for not converting it into action.

Demanding the same employees under the umbrella of MGSF has supported the cease work that was launched on Tuesday.

In addition of cease work strike the employees will start sit-in-protest in front of their respective departments, he said.