Central, State Govt employees strike evokes little response

Chennai, Oct 30 (UNI) Functioning of government departments remained unaffected as the one-day nationwide strike by central and state government staff, teachers and employees of state undertakings to press their demands, evoked a little response today.

Police sources told UNI that the strike had no impact as all the government departments and banks functioned with full attendance.

About 75 per cent attendance was reported in the Postal department, the sources said.

Though the employees expressed their solidarity for the strike, they did not participate in it, the sources added.

The token strike was to press demands, including filling up of eight lakh vacancies in various departments in the country, implementation of the sixth Central Pay Commission with retrospective effect fron January 1, 2006, increase in GPF rate and payment of Rs 1,000 as interim relief.

The agitation was also to demand scrapping of the new contributory pension scheme, stop downsizing operations and grant of right to strike to the trade unions.

The decision to observe a strike was taken at the national convention of the Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers and All India State Government Employees Federation in New Delhi on August 13 last.

UNI