Aizawl (mizomews.net): Members of the Pay Anomaly Redressal Demand Committee (PARDC) today began a 2-day ‘mass casual leave’ to protest against the state government’s “refusal” for pay revision.

The 6,000 PARDC’s members’ agitation is supported by the members of MIFCO, who also took casual leave on Thursday and Friday.

“We demand the state government to implement the proposal of the Pay Committee 2011 as it is,” PARDC members said adding, “It is not that we simply demand high salary; rather, what we want is same pay scale with our counterparts.”

The members said they are even ready to give up the arrears in view of the financial crisis in the state.

After the two-days strike, the members are planning to gather in front of Millennium Centre on July 18 for a protest march to the Chief Minister Office, where they will submit their demands.

“On July 19, we will take mass casual leave again and gather at Vanapa Hall, where the future course of action will be decided,” they said.

Of the 6,000 plus members, there are 43 government employees associations.

The association has left out the technical staffs of hospitals for emergency service.

Meanwhile, MIFCO Employees Association (MEA) also took mass casual leave to raise their demand for revision of MIFCO. The MEA statement stated that MIFCO had been proposed to privatised earlier, but since there is no one who replied the advertisement the proposal for privatisation was abandoned again.

“Therefore, MEA submitted Restructuring Road Map to the state government, but till today there is no action regarding this,” the association’s statement said.

“We demand that the state government take steps to restructure MIFCO at the earliest,”it added.

MIFCO workers also said that they were not paid for the last 5 months – from February to June; “while we work very hard in the field of manufacturing, our condition as of now is pathetic, therefore, we urge the government to take necessary steps immediately.”

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