Haryana Karamchari Mahasangh, which represents government and contractual employees, today met state finance minister Abhimanyu over various demands including withdrawl of a circular which bars the staff from availing mass casual leaves to participate in protests.
Union's leader Kanwar Singh Yadav said they met the minister over various demands including regularising contractual employees, removing pay anomalies among state government staff and giving Punjab-pattern scales to the employees.
"We had a fruitful meeting. The minister listened to us patiently and assured to take up our demands with the Chief Minister, besides arranging a meeting with him," Yadav said.
He strongly objected to a recent circular by the General Administration Department, which states that no mass Casual Leave will be allowed to employees for participating in dharnas, demonstrations, strikes or agitations.
"We have strongly opposed any move to curb democratic right of the employees to protest and demanded that such directions be taken back," Yadav said.
The circular had also drawn sharp reaction from the Opposition with senior INLD leaders Abhay Singh Chautala and Ashok Arora describing it as an attack on the "democratic and constitutional rights" of the employees to protest.
The Sarv Karamchari Sangh, another body representing the employees, too, strongly opposed the circular today and demanded its immediate withdrawl.
Members of the body protested any attempt to "curb" their rights, with its state unit chief Dharambir Phogat saying, no employee wants to protest, but sometimes circumstances force them to take the step so that their voice is heard.
"We want the government to take back this Tughlaki order," he said, adding the employees would be holding a rally in Karnal two days later in support of their demands.
"There are many issues including wage, pay anomalies and those pertaining to labour laws. Besides, the government is slowly moving towards privatising bodies like the Haryana Roadways and the power sector, which we will oppose tooth and nail," Phogat said.
"The state government has started to take many steps, like opening the doors of privatising the Roadways, without talking to the stakeholders," he alleged.
