10,000 central government officials strike

As many as 10,000 Central government employees from department of Income-tax, Accountant General, Census, Central Ground Water Board, Directorate and Health from Ahmedabad participated in the one-day token strike on Wednesday to endorse the nation-wide strike call given by non-gazetted employees of the Central government.

The strike was declared to address the anti-employee proposals of the K.P. Geetakrishnan Commission, which would submit its final report to the Central government on July 31. Non-gazetted employees of Indian Railways, telecom, Central excise and customs however, stayed away from
the strike so that essential services were not hampered, informed officials concerned from these departments.

"The protest is against the budget and the recommendations of the K.P. Geetakrishnan Commission, both of which have completely done away with the benefits that were enjoyed by Central government employees," informed president of Coordination Committee of Central Government Employees, Ahmedabad, A.A. Tirmizi.

The decision to go on strike had come after the joint convention of Central and state government employees’ organisation met on May 27 after the interim report of the K.P. Geetakrishnan Commission was found to be anti-employee, anti-labour, anti-farmer and anti-people policies pursued by the government under the banner of "second-generation economic reforms," further informed president of Income-tax Employees Federation, Gujarat Circle V.G. Varghese.

The protesting employees demanded the Central government to stop privatisation of government functions, corporatisation of government departments, giving out the government departments on contract, downsizing, among others. The protesting employees informed that the protest would be non-violent, but would intensify after July 31 if the final report of the K.P. Geetakrishnan Commission is found objectionable.

Republished from The Asian Age