Employees’ unions give ultimatum to AP govt

PNS|Vijayawada

State government employees’ unions and associations gave an ultimatum to the AP government to resolve all pending issues, including streamlining of salary payments by January 15, 2023.

The APJAC Amaravati meeting was held on Tuesday and attended by leaders of 90 employees’ unions from across AP which raised serious objections over the absence of salaries even after the elapse of half the month. The third AP JAC Amaravati Maha Sabha will be organised in February at Kurnool.

Speaking on the occasion, AP JAC Amaravati chairman Bopparaju Venjateswarulu said thousands of crores of rupees of employees are pending and salaries are not being released on the 1st of every month. He alleged that the government was deliberately delaying the payment of employees’ salaries to divert attention from the pending dues.

Venkateswarulu pointed out that superannuation benefits of employees should be released on the date of retirement but as the government was abnormally delaying it the retired senior citizens are upset and are afraid of retirement. If the employee dies, the funeral expenses are not paid and the officers are giving money from their pockets, he said and added that the CM had promised to clear the dues after the ‘Chalo Vijayawada’ rally but not a single rupee was paid to date.

Venkateswarulu recalled that the cancellation of CPS, regularisation of posts, and payment of salary and allowances were promised by CM Jagan Mohan Reddy but he failed to implement them. He said the employees are cooperating with the government in all aspects and demanded that the CM hold a meeting with the employees’ unions on the payment of salaries and dues as the officials and Ministerial sub-committee failed to give any commitment. “The CM should respond on these issues failing which, we will take direct action after Sankranti,” he said.

He said that time and again meetings are being held on CPS without results and demanded that the CM cancel the new pension scheme. He further recalled that six states across the country cancelled CPS with Himachal Pradesh being the latest to do so, he said.

Venkateswarlu said that there is pressure from the employees regarding the 11th PRC as the employees suffered due to the irregularities and a report should be brought by the 12th PRC. Work pressure on government employees increased and recalled that a Tahsildar committed suicide by hanging himself due to pressure from the District Collector. Working hours should be from 10 to 6 as was earlier promised by the CM, he said.