9 lakh Karnataka govt employees go on indefinite strike from today for implementing Seventh Pay Commission norms

Karnataka government employees went on an indefinite strike starting from Wednesday after Basavaraja Bommai-led BJP government failed to implement recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission, one of the longstanding demands of at least nine lakh state employees who have threatened to abstain from work at schools, colleges, hospitals, and other government institutions.

The government employees in Karnataka were expecting that the Basavaraja Bommai-led BJP would declare the implementation of the 7th pay commission on the revision of salaries. Later, when CM Bommai made no mention of the 7th pay commission in his budget speech, the government employees were devastated and announced to go on an indefinite strike.

Spearheaded by State Government Employees Union President, CS Shadakshari, Employees staged a protest at the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Campus in Bengaluru on Wednesday, holding placards reading "implementation of the 7th Pay Commission.

The Karnataka government employees have made three major demands which include the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission in the state, implementation of the old pension scheme (OPS), and implementation of at least 40 per cent of fitment facilities

Earlier Shadakshari said if their demands were not met, employees will stage protests across the state and will also abstain from performing their official duties.

The union president had earlier said that government employees will take part in the protest by abstaining from their duties at schools, colleges, hospitals, and other government institutions.

Talking to the journalists in Shimoga on February 26, Shadakshari said that Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai had turned a blind eye to the demands of government employees. CM Bommai's behaviour has caused sadness to nine lakh employees of the Karnataka government, he said.

He had also said that the protest will end only when the government issues interim orders for the implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission. If the orders are not issued, the protest will continue, Shadakshari had said.

( With inputs from ANI )