Leader of striking employees held in Kashmir

SRINAGAR - The head of the Employees Joint Action Committee (EJAC), spearheading the Jammu and Kashmir government employees’ strike that entered its third day Wednesday, has been taken into “preventive custody” to maintain law and order, police said.

Abdul Qayoom Wani was nabbed from Srinagar’s Parimpora area.

“He has been taken into preventive custody in order to maintain law and order in the city,” Javaid Riyaz, the senior superintendent of police (Srinagar), told IANS.

The Srinagar district police chief denied that he had been arrested under the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), invoked by the government against the striking government employees.

Under the provisions of the act, a striking government employee can be imprisoned and also fined for remaining away from duty besides facing the prospect of “no work, no pay” for the period of the strike.

Normal work in all government offices, educational institutions, revenue offices and other establishments of the state government across the state has been hindered.

The state government employees are demanding payment of arrears as per the recommendations of the sixth pay commission and enhancement of retirement age from 58 to 60 years.

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has asked the striking workers to return to work as the government has already taken up the issue of financial support with the central government so that arrears could be paid.

“We need Rs.4,200 crore to pay arrears to the employees,” Abdullah said.