Nagaland govt employees sheathe weapon, begin strike

Morung Express News
Dimapur | November 22  

Protesting against the state government’s failure to take decision on recommending ‘the empanelled list of non-SCS officers to the DoPT/UPSC’, the Nagaland Government employees, under the umbrella of the Confederation of Four Association, began its 3-day pen down strike today.  

The functioning of most government offices, including the Nagaland State Civil Secretariat, was affected due to the strike. Earlier, the Confederation of Four Associations (CoFA) comprising of CANSSEA, FONSESA, NSSA and NF&ASA, had threatened to go on a three-day pen-down strike from November 22, if the state government did not act on their seven day ultimatum by midnight of November 21. This is their first phase of agitation.  

On November 22, after a joint meeting, the four associations - Confederation of All Nagaland State Services Employees’ Association (CANSSEA), Federation of Nagaland State Engineers Service Associations (FONSESA), Nagaland Secretariat Service Association (NSSA) and Nagaland Finance &Accounts Services Association (NF&ASA) - “resolved to continue the ongoing Strike till November 24.  

“It is reiterated that the office bearers of all associations under the umbrella of the four associations ensure that the strike is strictly enforced in its respective offices,” a joint press statement informed.  

The statement further informed that a proposed meeting of the Cabinet Sub-Committee with CoFA on November 22 was also postponed.  

A CANSSEA member informed that the first day of the strike was ‘successful as per reports’ and the meeting was canceled since “the Chief Minister and the State Cabinet was busy away in Imphal” and having its meeting only tonight (November 22).  

Earlier, the Sub-Committee comprising of 7 members on promotion/selection to IAS Cadre, with Minister of Health & Family Welfare Imkong L Imchen as the Convenor, was constituted on October 5.  

While it was given a “one month’s time to give its recommendation in accordance with recruitment rules in letter and spirit,” the failure on the part of the Cabinet Sub-Committee to make timely recommendations and decision by the Government compelled the associations to serve the 7-day ultimatum on November 14. “The reported Meeting on 22/11/2017 called by the Convenor Cabinet Sub-Committee with the associations after expiry of the deadline i.e 21-11-17 regrettably never took place,” the statement further informed.  

Besides resolving to continue with its current stir, the four associations said that the 2nd phase of agitation will be enforced from November 27 in the form of “Mass Casual Leave of 3 days” and the stir will continue till “the Government recommends the empanelled list to the DoPT/UPSC for selection into IAS.”  

Meanwhile, the four associations, in the press statement, also rubbished what it called “the derogatory accusations of the Convener of the Cabinet Sub-Committee” which was carried by a section of local dailies.  

Casting aspersion on the proposed strike by CoFA, the Minister for H&FW, who is also the Convener of the Cabinet Sub-Committee, had told a press conference on November 22 that “if there is contest or competition for successfully staging, protest, strikes in India, Nagaland will be undisputed champion.”  

He had further opined that ‘officers who never attend offices are very much effective on talking of agitation and available’ for such action.  

The Minister was unhappy that the associations had decided to go ahead with their strike despite a notification on November 22 meeting.  

With the meeting being cancelled and the government not keeping its word, the CoFA said, “It is unbecoming of a senior minister and more so as the Convenor to diffuse the ongoing crisis.”