Central government unions 'defer' indefinite strike

NEW DELHI: Central government employees' unions today deferred by four months their proposed indefinite strike from July 11 against 7th pay panel's recommendations after government agreed to set up a high-level committee to look into their grievances.

"We have decided to defer our indefinite strike by four months against pay commission's recommendations as government today assured us it would resolve the issues raised by us and refer them to a high-level committee," the convenor of National Joint Council of Action ( NJCA) of central government employees' unions Shiv Gopal Mishra told.

The government decided to set up a high-level committee after the representatives of the unions met Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier in the day.

The committee will look into issues raised by various unions of central government employees involving pay scales and other recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission.

The NJCA is an umbrella organisation of various Central Government employees' unions, including Railways, post and telegraph and defence.

Mishra said, "We have been assured by the government that it will resolve the issues shortly. In view of the assurance, we have decided to defer the strike for four months."

"A new high-level committee will soon be set up to look into the grievances raised by the employee unions," a top government official told PTI.

Expressing dissatisfaction over various recommendations of the Pay Commission, various central government employees' unions had threatened to go on an indeifinite strike from July 11.