AIZAWL: Federation of Mizoram Government Employees and Workers (FMGE&W), an umbrella body of all government employees, has cancelled its proposed agitation, which was scheduled to begin on Monday.

The federation had earlier threatened to stage a tool-down strike for two days- March 6 and 7 demanding regular payment of salary and an increase in Dearness Allowance (DA), the federation general secretary J. Ramdinmawia said. 

The federation has also planned to stage mass casual leave between March 8 and 10 in case the tool-down strike yield no result, he said.

Ramdinmawia said that the federation has cancelled its proposed peaceful agitation after chief minister Zoramthanga assured them to take measures to meet their demands.

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Leaders of the federation had on Saturday met the chief minister, who assured them of a 4 per cent hike in DA with effect from April 1st this year, he said.

With this hike, the employees will now enjoy 32 per cent DA of their basic pay, which is much lower than those under the Central government, he said.

The chief minister also assured that he will take measures to ensure the employees are paid on time, he said.

As regards raising the pension age from 60 to 62 years, Zoramthanga also assured FMGE&W leaders that a consultation meeting would be convened with the federation, finance department, student bodies and other NGOs under the initiative of the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms at the earliest convenient.

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More than 40,000 government employees are there under the federation, according to Ramdinmawia.

He said that the employees have been paid irregularly or not on time since 2020. 

The federation demanded the employees are paid on the last working day of the month as was in the past, he said.

Meanwhile, the state apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and Mizo Students’ Union (MSU) have strongly opposed the move to raise the pension age from the existing 60 to 62 years.

MZP president Lalnunmawia Pautu said that many unemployed educated youths will be disadvantaged if the pension age is raised.