Bhubaneswar: Demanding hike in their salaries, over 50,000 government employees under the banner of Odisha Ministerial Officers’ Association (OMOA) launched an indefinite strike at different districts across the state, Thursday. The employees said they will be on mass leave for an indefinite period till their demand is met.
Sources said that Odisha government employees staged dharna in front of the offices of the collectors in 30 districts of the state to press for the demand for increase in their grade pay from Rs 1,900 to Rs 4,200 as per level 9 under Odisha Revised Scales of Pay (ORSP) Rules, 2017. As the employees went on mass leave, work in many of the offices at districts was severely affected and the public deprived of services.
The association had placed its demand before the government in April this year and the employees subsequently staged demonstrations by wearing black badges. The employees had also staged a symbolic protest till Wednesday in all the districts for the fulfillment of their demands. Since it not met, the association launched a state-wide strike by boycotting work Thursday onwards.
Officials of the association asserted that the employees will not cooperate with the government and resume their work till their demands are met. Till then the mass leave and peaceful protest will continue.
“We have only one demand and that is to hike the pay scale from Level IV to IX. We have been staging protests for more than 40 days now. We have submitted memorandums to collectors, chief secretary and the chief minister. But, the government is yet to take any action,” said Tripati Balaji Sahu, president, Odisha Rajaswa Amala Sangha.
Similarly, Subhendu Routray, general secretary of Milita Amala Sangha, Bhubaneswar wing, said the officials are doing all the government work for the people at grassroots level. However, the officials are on a protest path due to injustice by the government, he said.
Due to the protest, many people who visited government offices in various districts of the state for work had to return empty-handed.
IANS
