JAIPUR, FEB 17: The 64-day-old strike by Rajasthan government employees finally ended on Wednesday after Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot assured leaders of employees' unions that their demands would be amicably considered, the joint action committee of the three workers' federations said here.JAC convener Mahesh Vyas told reporters that the matter has been left to the CM, so there was no reason for the employees to continue the strike. Earlier in the day, senior state officials and union-leaders held several rounds of talks to work out a compromise. Sources said nine senior leaders, led by Adarsh Kishore, Principal Secretary to the CM, were trying to evolve a formula which will allow the government to implement the no work-no pay norm and at the same time ensure that staff are not made to lose their wages in lieu of the strike period. Union leaders, including Giriraj Sharma, Mahesh Vyas and Ram Kishore Agarwal, had suggested that they be paid salaries by adjusting their absence from duty against the earned leave due to them. They were also pressing for the withdrawal of all cases and a revocation of all punitive actions taken against the staff on account of the strike. Gehlot, however, said the no work-no pay formula would remain effective for striking government employees and their strike period would not be adjusted against any kind of leave.The state is firm on its revised package announced last week that covers cash DA and advance loan, Gehlot said. During the previous BJP regime, employees of the state electricity board had gone on strike for 57 days and the government ``did not pay them a penny'', he said, adding ``it would be a violation of previous standards''. However, he welcomed the employees who returned to duty accepting the government's package and said: ``The government is not fussy on employees' demands, but let the state's economy improve. We will not disappoint our employees.'' State government employees went on strike on December 15 to press a five-point charter of demands, including cash payment of the enhanced dearness allowances and the restoration of the annual Diwali-eve bonus. After six weeks, the government initiated a dialogue with the union leaders to reach a compromise. It then announced a unilateral package partly meeting their demands, particularly on the crucial DA payment. When the agitators rejected the package, it struck a deal with two employee leaders, including ruling Congress MLA Uday Singh Rathore, by announcing some more concessions. This, however, failed to break the strike. The latest initiative was started last week-end when the government shifted all jailed leaders to Tonk and allowed them to first confer with one another and then negotiate with the government.
