Thursday, September 1 2005 15:29 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Pondicherry: More than 80 lakh employees of various state Governments and Union Territories would participate in the Sept 29 nation-wide strike to protest the Central government's 'anti working class policies', according to M N V G Adiyodi, General Secretary, All India State Employees Coordination Committee.

The Committee, in a press release, welcomed the strike call given by various trade unions, saying that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government at the centre and many State Governments like Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and the Union Territory of Pondicherry were following the same policies of the previous Non Democratic Alliance (NDA) Government.

Besides privatising public sector undertakings, existing benefits of employees and teachers were being curtailed. The Committee also protested the ban on recruitments in almost all departments and termination of services of staff who had put in long years of service.

If the Governments did not review their 'anti-employee' and 'anti-people' policies, they would be forced to adopt more stringent forms of agitations, including non cooperation and would go on an indefinite strike, if needed, Adiyodi said.

He termed as totally against the Centre's norms, the non-conferment of 'B two' status to Government employees, despite the town having a population of more than five lakh

The pay 'anomalies' should be removed, as the pay structure and service conditions of the union Government were applicable for Government employees here, he said.