SRINAGAR: Scores of government employees in Jammu and Kashmir have been detained as police used force to disperse protestors who tried to gherao the civil secretariat in capital Srinagar.
Nearly half a million employees have been protesting for long now, pressing the government to fulfill their demands including raising the retirement age to 60 years.
The demonstrations were part of a three-day protest programme till September 11 called by JCC or Joint Consultative Committee – an alliance of various trade unions – of the state.
The JCC has also been demanding regularisation of daily and need-based workers who have been engaged after 1994, removal of pay anomalies of clerical cadre and budgetary support to sick public sector corporations for payment of wages to workers.
On Monday, the employees in their hundreds assembled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park near here raising slogans in favour of their demands. They tried to move towards the civil secretariat when police used batons to disperse them.
Nearly a hundred protestors including senior JCC leaders were arrested.
The protests have been going on for two years now. In 2012, JCC leaders signed a pact with government over its demands but later they accused the government of backtracking from its promise.
JCC leaders have warned further delay in implementing the agreement will compel them to launch what they called a decisive agitation.
