Govt staff strike: Services to be hit Thursday

Thiruvananthapuram: Functioning of government offices in the state is likely to be adversely affected Thursday in view of the one-day strike called by pro-LDF Action Council of State Employees and Teachers pressing their demands.

The Council demanded among other things immediate implementation of the pay revision package of government employees and teachers and also 20 per cent of the basic pay as interim relief with retrospective effect from July 1, 2014.

Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed the strike call as politically motivated and said there was no justification for the agitation as the pay commission for revision of salaries of employees have been set up and government was waiting for its report for implementation.

During the media briefing of the cabinet meeting here, he rejected the Action Council's charge that more than 30,000 posts have been abolished and said actually the UDF Government had created 35,000 new posts in various departments.

Chandy also said there was no need for any talks with the striking staff and justified the government decision to implement 'dies non' (no work no pay) rule.