Government Employees stage dharna braving ESMA in capital

Panaji, Mar 12 (UNI) Goa Government Employees today staged a dharna in the capital city braving the imposition of the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) banning strikes by the public servants since Friday last.

They were protesting the invocation of the dreaded ESMA, the violation of which attracts punishment including dismissal from service.

The employees had been demanding among other things parity in wages and superannuation age, besides hike in allowances and salaries.

They had taken out an impressive rally on Friday to the Assembly in support of their demands and threatened to disrupt essential services if the government failed to ignore their demands.

The Goa Government Employees Association, spearheading the agitation backed by CPI-led All India Trade Union Congress and other bodies, however, deferred the strike with the government constituting a three-member high-powered committee headed by Deputy Chief Minister Dr Wilfred De Souza to study their demands.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary J P Singh told UNI the association representatives would meet the committee for discussions tomorrow at the Secretariat.

The government had kept a vigil on the activities of the employees pending talks.

UNI