Kohima, May 24: The three-day mass casual leave called by the Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees Association from today took full effect, paralysing work in all government offices throughout Nagaland.
The agitation is being staged in protest against non-implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission’s recommendations.
Despite the government warning its staff that the “no work, no pay” policy would be applied against the agitating employees, they defied orders and stayed away from their offices on the first day of the three-day protest today.
“Full pay benefits have been given to the central government employees in the name of escalation of price rise of commodities in the market. When the state employees demand the same, the government says that the staff have no fundamental right to claim for it,” association president Dr K. David Sema, alleged.
He said the association had given ample time to the state government to act on their representation and ultimatum, but it had fallen on deaf ears.
“We are demonstrating our anger through democratic means of wearing black badges and resorting to mass casual leave in protest. The ‘no work, no pay’ rule should be defied and instead ‘no pay, no work’ be applied,” Dr. Sema said.
The association said unlike Manipur, which resorted to violence while demanding pay revision, employees in Nagaland had applied restraint, for which the authorities should be grateful.
“Casual leave is our entitlement,” secretary of the association Vekho Vero, said.
The association also informed that other service bodies not affiliated to CANSSEA but supporting its demand for pay parity, were also expected to join the protest.
The CANSSEA, however, reminded the employees not to indulge in any untoward activities during the protest.
The association also directed the divisional and sub-divisional units to keep vigil during the period of the casual leave and see that the order of the central office-bearers of CANSSEA were followed to the fullest.
The state government, however, said the employees had no right to claim for the pay revision.
Chief secretary Lalthara said it was up to the state government whether to implement the pay revision or not and that the employees had no fundamental right to ask for it.
The CANSSEA has demanded the pay revision with effect from January 1, 2006. However, the state government, citing financial constraints, decided to implement the hike from April 1, 2010.
To resolve the impasse, the state government had constituted a committee to negotiate with the agitating employees. However, even after a few rounds of talks, there was no breakthrough.
Total implementation of the recommendations of the Sixth Pay Commission will cost the state government around Rs 600 crore.
Chief minister Neiphiu Rio, who also holds the finance portfolio, has failed to convince the central government to bail him out from the funds crunch.
The Opposition Congress has criticised the ruling Democratic Alliance of Nagaland government on the issue and said it was the fundamental right of the employees to claim their benefits.
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