Odisha Govt Employees Launch Indefinite Stir, Go On Mass Leave Demanding Grade Pay Hike

Bhubaneswar: Work in different government offices got affected across Odisha as a large number of employees launched a strike on Thursday and went on mass leave for an indefinite period demanding a hike in grade pay.

Sources said that state government employees staged dharna in front of the offices of the collectors in 30 districts of the state to press for the demand for increase in their grade pay from Rs 1900 to Rs 4200.

Odisha Ministerial Officers’ Association (OMOA) has been demanding a hike in grade pay to Rs 4200 as per level 9 under Odisha Revised Scales of Pay (ORSP) Rules, 2017.

As the employees went on mass leave, the government offices in many districts remained shut. The state-wide strike by OMOA affected office functioning in many areas.

The association had placed its demand before the government in April this year  and the employees subsequently staged demonstration by wearing black badge. As the protest failed to yield any result, the association had threatened to launch state-wide strike by boycotting office work from today.

The employees had staged a symbolic protest from till Wednesday in all the districts demanding hike in grade pay. A leader of the association said an ultimatum had been given to the government to meet the demand during the period. The protesting employees had threatened to go on mass leave from June 1 till indefinite period if the latter fails to meet the demand.

Stating that the employees we will not cooperate with the government in functioning of office till the demand is met, the protesters said the mass leave and peaceful protest will continue till that period.

Leaders of the association threatened to intensify the stir and hit the streets in the state capital to press their demand.