MANIPUR EMPLOYEES STRIKE ON, CONTRACTUAL EMPLOYEES TO BE BROUGHT IN

With the striking government employees ignoring the appeal to resume work, Manipur Chief Minister N. Biren Singh announced that the government will go ahead with engaging a few thousand contractual employees to dispose of financial files ahead of the financial year's end. The employees had gone on indefinite ceasework strike from Thursday demanding implementation of the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission. Biren Singh said that the government employees number about one lakh of the state's 28 lakh population.

Official sources also said that the government is likely to arrest some of top government employee leaders, since the police have been keeping tabs on them in the name of ensuring their attendance in the offices. Leaders of the striking employees said that the government did not extend any invitation to hold negotiations and they cannot act on the "appeal through the media".

Deputy chief minister Yumnam Joykumar had already announced that the no work, no pay rule will be applied to the striking employees. Joykumar, who also holds the finance portfolio, said that an additional fund of Rs 1,400 crore will be required every year for paying the enhanced pay scale. Biren Singh said that since Manipur depends on the central largesse, there is no fund to implement the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.