Central Govt. employees strike work

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, JULY 25. Central Government employees and a section of State Government employees went on a one-day strike here on Wednesday, in accordance with the nationwide call given by the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, New Delhi, and the All India State Government Employees Federation.

The strike was to protest against privatisation, down-sizing of Government employees, curtailment of existing benefits and changes in labour laws.It was to demand reversal of economic policies,which the associations alleged were being followed at the behest of the World Bank and the WTO. Other issues included stoppage of LTC for two years, reduction of GPF interest rate, freezing of DA for five years.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers (CCGEW), AP Unit, said in a statement that in Hyderabad, the strike was total in the offices of Income Tax, Accountant General, Geological Survey of India, Central Government Health Scheme, Advance Training Institute, Central Training Institute, postal, Telecom and other Central Government offices.

Reports from various centres indicated that the strike was successful in major cities and towns, according to Mr.T. Narasimhan, Chairman and Mr. Prabhakar Nair, General Secretary, CCGEW.

The Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers, AP Unit, and the APNGOs Association, Hyderabad, said Expenditure Reforms Commission, which is to submit its report by July 31, had suggested in its interim report that the Government `off-load' many of its functions to the private sector, along with restructuring of Government departments.

The federations said that a note circulated by the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms to the Expenditure Reforms Committee suggested among others that there should be no pay commissions in future, and 25 to 50 per cent of officials between 52 and 55 years may be retired.It also suggested revision of rules to ensure that new recruits take leave without pay for five years at a stretch after having put in 10 years of service, it said.

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