Goa Govt employees' on indefinite strike

Goa government offices has come to standstill with all the government employees' started indefinite pendown strike from Friday.

"We forced to start pendo]n strike as government has not kept its word. We will continue the strike, till our demands are not met," Goa Government Employees' Association president MI Shetkar said.

They demand for upgrading pay scales.

The same strike was earlier called on June 9, but it was withdrawn after Chief Secretary JP Singh assured them that their demands would be met.

The workers, earlier, had demanded parity in the scales with all the other government departments. Their demand was conceded by chief minister Digamber Kamat himself announcing that the parity would be brought in.

Shetkar said that after several rounds of talks over last two months, it was tentatively agreed that the government would upgrade their pay scales from 2001 onwards with arrears to be credited in their respective general provident fund (GPF), but nothing has happened.