J&K govt employees` two-day strike affects work in office s

Srinagar: Work in government offices in Jammu and Kashmir was today severely affected due to the two-day strike called by the employees` trade union to press for their demands including enhancing the retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

Most of the government offices were locked out while attendance in some offices was thin, officials said. However, essential services, which are exempted from the strike, were operating as usual, the officials said. The employees had yesterday tried to march towards Civil Secretariat, the seat of State Government but the rally was foiled by police. Joint Coordination Committee (JCC) has called for two-day strike beginning today to press the government to fulfill its demands. The JCC is demanding enhancement in the retirement age from 58 to 60 years, regularisation for the daily rated workers, casual labourers and need based workers engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomaly of clerical cadre (pre-revised Rs 6500-10500) and budgetary support for public sector. The employees` leaders have accused the state government of back tracking on the agreement reached with the JCC on their demands. PTI