Govt offices closed as employees demand better pay in Jammu & Kashmir

Work in government offices came to a standstill across Kashmir valley today as employees abstained from duty to press for the immediate release of their pending benefits under the recommendations of 6th Pay Commission.

All government offices remained locked as employees went on a day's strike in response to the call given by Employees Joint Action Committee, an amalgam of different unions of government employees, official sources said. There were, however, no protests or processions elsewhere in the valley, they said.

Demands include hike in retirement age from 58 to 60, regularising services of daily wagers and ad-hoc workers, merging of cost of living allowance into dearness allowance, uniform house rent allowance and release of 40 per cent arrears and extending the 6th Pay Panel benefits to local bodies, municipal corporations and PSUs.

The employees had given a week's time to the state government to fulfill their demands after staging a sit-in protests on December 23.