Sobhapati Samom
IMPHAL, May 19 – The four-month-old Manipur State Government employees’ cease work strike has been called off following an understanding reached between the strikers and the State authority today.A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the representatives of the striking employees’ bodies and the State Government was signed in this regard in the presence of Chief Minister O Ibobi Singh.
According to the MoU, which was made available to the local press here, the striking employees’ agreed to call off its strike with immediate effect and ask all government employees to resume duty from May 19.
Demanding implementation of the 6th Pay Commission recommendations in toto in the State, more than 60,000 State Government employees under the aegis of the Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of All Manipur Trade Union and All Manipur Government Employees Organisation had launched their cease work strike on January 16 last.
“In view of the resource constraints and on the assurance of the JAC to ensure timely and full collection of the government resources in all departments, the State Government agreed to pay arrears of pay for six months with effect from October 1, 2009 to March 31, 2010 in cash in two equal installments”, the memorandum said. “The first installment will be paid on June 1, 2011.
The payment of arrears in cash will be subject to the achievement of target collection of arrears and current dues by the Power department failing which the State Government will have the option to credit the arrears into the respective GPF accounts of the employees for a period of six months”.
