IMPHAL, April 19 � Manipur Governor Gurbachan Jagat today assured that he would look into the problems being faced by the striking State Government employees.
The assurance was given to a delegation of the striking representatives of the Joint Administrative Council (JAC) of All Manipur Government Employees Organisations (AMGEO) and All Manipur Trade Union Council (AMTUC), Manipur Secretariat Services Association, pensioners and teachers� body which met the Governor at Raj Bhavan here today.
According to JAC sources, the State Governor gave a patient hearing to the demands and assured them that he will look into the problem. The Governor also asked the striking employees to wait for the government�s invitation for a formal talk to end the strike which had been affecting the functioning of the State machinery, sources added.
�The Governor assured the strikers that he will intervene in bringing them to a negotiation table if the invitation did not come�, sources said.
More then 60,000 State Government employees have been on a cease work strike since January 16 last under the banner of the JAC of AMGEO and AMTUC demanding immediate implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission recommendations in toto. The strike entered the 93rd day today.
The Governor�s assurance came amidst news that the striking employees are expected to hold first round of talks with a Ministerial team led by Revenue and Forest Minister Th Debendra who also holds Law and Legislative Affairs portfolios.
Local dailies quoting a government source reported that a discussion to end the strike is scheduled today between the striking employees and a Ministerial team headed by Minister Debendra.
It may be mentioned here that while the ongoing strike has paralysed government functioning in the State for the last three months, things have worsened after the State Secretariat and State Assembly employees joined the agitation some days back crippling the State administration.
The Chief Minister O Ibobi had repeatedly appealed to the striking employees to end the cease work as the government could not afford to clear the demanded arrears of the employees though the government reportedly agreed to implement the 6th Pay award from the first day of April this year.
