Date:23/12/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/12/23/stories/2008122354210400.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

80 per cent of village servants on strike

HYDERABAD: Issuance of voter photo identity cards and ration cards, besides collection of revenue cess across the State was affected on Monday as 80 per cent of the 50,000-strong village servants went on an indefinite strike demanding wage increase and recognition as Class IV staff.

The 20 per cent of village servants would join the strike on Tuesday despite alleged attempts by two former leaders of the AP Gramasevakula Sangham and a representative of the AP Revenue Services Association to bring about a split in the organisation, its leaders alleged.

They condemned the Revenue Services Association’s statement that there was no strike and that the government had conceded the demands. They described it a conspiracy hatched by the government to ‘divide’ and ‘mislead’ the village servants.

The leaders said it was ‘improper’ to say that there was no strike and that the demands had been conceded without holding talks with representatives of the sangham. The village servants had gone on a 29-day strike in 2006 forcing the government to raise their dearness allowance from Rs. 25 to Rs. 50, according to the leaders.