Nationwide strike on Aug 10 by Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh

Kanpur, Jun 21 (UNI) Bhartiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) today announced a day's nation-wide token strike on August 10 by the central as well as Uttar Pradesh government employees to protest the ''delaying attitude'' of the centre in setting up the Sixth Pay Commission.

BMS national president Girish Awasthi told UNI here the centre had promised to set up Sixth Pay Commission two months back. ''But, till date, the Manmohan Singh government is silent on the issue.'' He informed the Sangh would not wait and the employees, under the banner of Govenment Employees National Confederation (GENC), would observe a token strike.

Mr Awasthi claimed the support of all central government, state governments, public sector and defence unit employees throughout the country.

In reply to a question about joining of Railways employees in the strike, he said while the movement of trains would be unaffected, 30 per cent staff of 52 railways workshops would also observe the token strike.

Mr Awasthi said before the strike, the employees would wear black batches and stage 'dharna' between July 17 to 20 and seek strike ballot from employees in different offices on July 21.

BMS' other demands include 300 days leave encashment, increase in quota of appointment in place of dead employees, revision of house rent for the period between January 1, 1996 to July 31, 1997 as per the report of fifth pay commission, cancelling the proposed privatisation of Ordnance factories as per Dr Kelkar Committee report and withdrawal of the recent increase in petro prices.

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