Mantralaya clerks to protest on Nov 18 for S-10 pay scale, warn of indefinite strike from Nov 25

Mumbai: The Mantralaya employees' association has announced an agitation against the government over the pending demands of the Mantralaya clerical cadre. The association says the government has been continuously ignoring these demands.

The association's main demand is that the designation of the Mantralaya clerical cadre be changed to "Mantralaya Assistant". It also wants the existing S-6 pay scale (Rs 19,900 to Rs 63,200) revised and the S-10 pay scale (Rs 29,200 to Rs 92,300) implemented. For these demands, a sharp protest will be held on November 18 at 2 pm in front of the Arsa Gate of the Mantralaya.

The association has issued a direct warning that if the government does not take a positive decision on the demands, an indefinite strike will begin from November 25.

According to the association, the Mantralaya is the biggest centre of the state's administrative system. The work of the Cabinet and the Legislature, the drafts of government decisions and confidential work are the responsibility of these employees, who were selected through the difficult stages of the Maharashtra Public Service Commission (MPSC). The association's view is that in an expensive metropolis like Mumbai, a newly appointed clerk gets a salary of about Rs 35,000, which falls far short for house rent, commuting costs and supporting a family.

The question being raised is why Mantralaya clerks are being treated unjustly when the pay scales of equivalent posts in the Goods and Services Tax department, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, the High Court and the Legislature have already been revised. The pay anomaly has persisted since the time of the Fourth Pay Commission, and the Bakshi Committee recommendations under the Seventh Pay Commission have also not been implemented. As a result, many young employees are leaving Mantralaya jobs for district-level services, and about 40 per cent of clerical posts in the Mantralaya are vacant.

The association has four demands. First, the clerk-typist cadre should be redesignated "Mantralaya Assistant". Second, the S-10 pay scale (Rs 29,200 to Rs 92,300) should be implemented immediately for the post of Mantralaya Assistant. Third, the long-pending pay anomaly of the clerical cadre should be removed. Fourth, the Bakshi Committee recommendations under the Seventh Pay Commission should be implemented immediately.

According to the association, there is deep resentment among employees because the government has taken no concrete decision despite 10 to 12 years of submitting memoranda and lobbying by democratic means. The association has said the November 18 agitation is not only about raising pay but also about the dignity of employees. All officers and employees have been urged to join. If the indefinite strike begins on November 25, work at the Mantralaya is feared to come to a standstill.