Other protest programmes such as going on a Mass Casual Leave and calling an indefinite strike are also on the cards if the government does not pay heed to their demand. The agitating employees have also threatened that the BJP government’s delaying the pay-hike might cost the party dear in the upcoming Lok Sabha election.

The rally was carried out by different associations and federations of the state government employees under the umbrella of Guajrat Rajya Karmachari Sankalan Samiti (Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee) and was attended by thousands of state government employees.

Gujarat State Panchayat Employees Federation, Gujarat State Primary Teachers’ Federation, Gujarat State Officers’ Federation and Gujarat State Board Nigam Employees Federation are some of the notable organisations that took part in the rally.

Chairman of Gujarat State Employees Co-Ordination Committee, Vishnu Patel, told Newsline: “The state government had announced the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission in its manifesto, but it has been delaying it on the pretext of putting it for review by a committee. We outrightly condemn the formation of the committee to examine the pay commission’s recommendation. We demand pay hike at the earliest.”

Patel also said that the BJP’s good performance in the coming Lok Sabha election maybe doubtful. “The total voting heads of the state government employees and their families come to almost a crore. If the government does not give them their right, it may prove costly for them in the election,” he said.

Patel also announced that all state government employees would go on a Mass Casual Leave on November 5 if their demands were not accepted by then.

Joint General Secretary of the Co-Ordination Committee Harshad Raval said, “State governments of Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan have already implemented the pay commission’s recommendations. So, it is high time Gujarat government heard our demands.”

President of the Gujarat State Officers’ Federation Vivek Kapadiya said: “The state government has an inclination of not paying enough to its employees, as it believes it is already paying them enough. Apart from that, it also has a tendency to outsource all the work. That is why it has not been recruiting people. To attain their goal, they are forcing the people to leave their jobs.”