No Strikes in Govt Corporations After UP Imposes ESMA for 6 Months

Seven types of allowances for govt employees have been put on hold by the UP government in the last few months.

File image of Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

(Photo: PTI)

The government of Uttar Pradesh has invoked the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) that bans strikes in all corporations and departments under it for six months. The Act gives the police the power to arrest anybody without a warrant if they are found violating the provisions of the Act.

It was invoked after taking permission from Governor Anandiben Patel and a notification was issued by Additional Chief Secretary, Mukul Singhal, a senior government official told PTI.

The notification said:

“The Governor is pleased to prohibit, for a period of six months from the date of publication of this notification in the Gazette, strikes in any public service in connection with the affairs of the state of Uttar Pradesh and any service under a corporation owned or controlled by state Government and any service under a local authority.”

This comes at a time when the Uttar Pradesh government suspended payments of seven types of allowances for government employees.

Last month the government decided to put on hold an increase in the Dearness Allowance (DA) of its 16 lakh employees. The DA was due to increase from 1 January 2020.

(With inputs from PTI)