SHILLONG : The All Jaintia Muster Roll Workers and Labour Union has temporarily suspended its agitation following a meeting with Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma, who assured the delegation that the government will streamline the implementation of Variable Dearness Allowance (VDA) revisions across all departments.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Adviser of the Union Khroo L Pariat described the discussion as constructive and said the Chief Minister acknowledged lapses and communication gaps in enforcing previous orders. He further assured that all departments would now be directed to strictly comply with government notifications regarding wage revisions.
The Union has been demanding proper implementation of the VDA revision, which under the Minimum Wages Act is required to be updated twice a year, specifically on April 1 and October 1.
According to Pariat, the Chief Minister has assured that a fresh order for revising the VDA will be issued within the next few days. In addition, the government has also agreed to examine the issue of retirement age, which has remained unclear for many workers. Officials have been tasked to follow up on the matter, with a review meeting expected by the end of April.
While welcoming the assurances, the Union has made it clear that the suspension of agitation is temporary. The organization has given the government until the end of April to implement the promised measures, failing which it has warned of a massive agitation across all district headquarters in Meghalaya.
“We will wait for the implementation within this month. If the government fails, we will launch a large-scale agitation,” Pariat stated.