PRC: AP staff firm on stand; reject talks invite

Amaravati: The stand-off between Andhra Pradesh government and employees over pay revision continued on Tuesday as the latter turned down another invitation for talks and intensified their protest.

The employees' unions rejected the fresh offer of talks by a five-member committee constituted by the government to hold talks to resolve the contentious issue.

A day after PRC Sadhana Samithi, an umbrella group of employees' unions, served strike notice, the government extended a fresh invitation for talks.

However, employees' unions ruled out any talks till the government rolls back the Government Order (GO) for implementation of pay revision. The apex body of agitating employees made its stand clear after a meeting called to discuss the fresh invitation for talks by principal secretary, general administration, Shashibhushan Kumar.

The official had invited the leaders of employees' unions to come to the State secretariat for talks with the committee at 12 noon.

Leaders of the employees' unions decided to write a letter to the government panel to repeal the GO. They also reiterated the demand that the Pay Revision Commission (PRC) report be made public.

Meanwhile, the employees' unions have intensified their protest to demand repeal of the GO. They have already decided to go on strike from February 7 to press for their demands. A day after serving the notice, the unions organised dharnas and took out rallies across the state. Protesting the government's stand, they staged a sit-in at the offices of district collectors.