SRINAGAR: Work in government offices and schools was affected on Friday as nearly half a million employees in Jammu and Kashmir struck work over pending demands.
The strike was called by JCC or Joint Consultative Committee – an alliance of various trade unions – of the state, ignoring pleas by the government not to do so.
The JCC is building pressure on the government over demands which include increase in the retirement age from present 58 years to 60 years.
They have 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 Thursday, thousands of employees assembled at Sher-e-Kashmir Park near here raising slogans in favour of their demands. They tried to move towards the Gupkar, where the CM lives, when police used batons and also used coloured water canons to disperse them.
The authorities had told the JCC not to strike work, assuring that their demands were being reviewed.
But the employee union leaders have accused the government of adopting dilly dallying tactics.
