State employees body calls for statewide agitation over govt neglect

Jaipur: The All Rajasthan State Employees Joint Federation (United) has announced a state-level meeting in Jaipur on May 18 to formulate a strategy for a statewide agitation against what it termed the Rajasthan govt’s “indifferent attitude” towards employees’ demands.

The meeting is being seen as the formal beginning of a larger movement by govt employees across the state. In a joint statement, federation state president Gajendra Singh Rathore and state general secretary Mohan Lal Sharma said employees were deeply dissatisfied over issues related to RGHS and the “unannounced ban” on payment of surrendered leave.

The federation leaders said employees across Rajasthan recently wore black bands in protest against alleged discrepancies in the RGHS and non-payment of surrendered leave following a statewide call given by the organisation.

Sharma alleged that the govt failed to hold positive discussions on the federation’s pending 25-point charter of demands. These include issuance of promotion orders as announced in the state budget, granting a two-year experience relaxation for regularisation of contractual employees, formation of the RMLCL for contract workers, and resolution of pending demands raised by various employee organisations.

“The govt’s failure to take positive decisions on long-pending demands reflects its anti-employee intentions,” Sharma said.

District presidents from across Rajasthan and representatives of employee organisations from different departments are expected to participate in the meeting. The federation said the upcoming phases of the agitation and organisational strategy would be announced during the deliberations.

The organisation warned that if the govt failed to initiate timely dialogue and resolve employee issues, workers would be compelled to intensify protests and take to the streets.