Uttar Pradesh to act tough on striking employees

"We have clear guidelines to arrest and lodge first information reports (FIRs) against striking employees trying to disrupt public peace and those indulging in damaging of public or individual properties," a senior police official told IANS.



Police have also been asked to provide adequate security to employees who want to work and were being forced by striking employee unions to refrain from working.

The president of the Rajya Karmachari Mahasangh, Ajay Singh however said that they would not be cowed down by the threats from the state government.

"The strike call given by the employee unions has been very successful on the first day and we will continue to press for our demands till they are met," he said.

The strike crippled work in major cities, including Lucknow, Allahabad, Faizabad, Ghaziabad and Kanpur Tuesday and is likely to spread to other towns Wednesday. Union leaders say in Agra and Meerut all work except the collectorate has come to a grinding halt.

Meanwhile, members of the provincial medical service (PMS) have also gone on strike complaining against burden of work.

Vice president of the PMS Association, A.K. Pandey said that their services were being used from checking of mid-day meals to VIP duties, but they are not being given adequate service benefits.

They are demanding implementation of the 6th Pay Commission.