AMARAVATI: Four government employees’ associations have joined hands to fight against the state government on the revised pay scales issue.
Leaders of APNGOs association, Amaravati JAC, secretariat employees’ federation, and government employees’ federation held discussions at a private hotel in Vijayawada on Thursday and decided to fight on the issue together. The unions have also decided to meet at the secretariat on Friday to chalk out their future agitation plans.
The success of the teachers’ protest against the PRC across the state on Thursday seems to have made the employee unions change tack and join hands to exert pressure on the government. While APNGOs association and Amaravati JAC have been working together for sometime, secretariat employees’ federation and government employees’ federation used to attend the meetings separately.
“We have decided to join hands and fight together to get a better deal for the employees,” secretariat employees’ federation president K Venkataramireddy said. Amaravati JAC president Bopparaju Venkateswaralu said they would further discuss the issues on Friday. “We will discuss all issues including giving strike notice to the government at Friday’s meeting,” he said.
AP government employees’ federation president KR Suryanarayana, who was the first to oppose the 23 per cent fitment and new PRC, has also decided to work with other employee associations which initially gave their consent to the fitment. He said officials are misleading the chief minister on various issues, including HRA and CCA. “The new pay-scales announced under the new PRC are not at all acceptable,” he said.
Former president of APNGOs association and TDP leader P Ashok Babu demanded that the government should consider the employees’ demands. “It is unfortunate that the situation had reached a stage where employee associations are compelled to give strike notice.
Chief minister should intervene and prevent such a thing to happen,” he said. Meanwhile, information and public relations minister Perni Venkatramaia
