By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 9: The All Jaintia Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union on Thursday suspended its proposed sit-in protest at Motphran following talks with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, but warned it would launch a statewide agitation if its demands are not met this month.
Speaking after the meeting, union adviser Khroo L Pariat said the discussion was constructive and followed a wait of nearly four months.
The delegation informed the Chief Minister that various departments were failing to comply with notifications issued by the Personnel, Finance, and Labour departments. It highlighted that despite clear directives, implementation remained inconsistent across the government.
The chief minister acknowledged a “communication gap” and assured that steps would be taken to streamline coordination among departments to ensure compliance with government orders.
Regarding the Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA), the union pointed out that under the Minimum Wages Act, revisions are mandated twice a year—on April 1 and October 1—but the April revision has been delayed. The Chief Minister assured that the pending order would be issued within the next few days.
The delegation also raised concerns over discrepancies in retirement age.
They noted that while a 2009 government approval fixed the retirement age for muster roll workers at 65 years, several departments are enforcing retirement at 58. Sangma assured that the matter would be examined with officials shortly.
The union stated it will wait for the implementation of these assurances by the end of the month. However, it warned that failure to meet these commitments would lead to massive protests across all district headquarters.
