More striking employees arrested in Uttar Pradesh

Lucknow, (IANS) About a dozen men were arrested Saturday as the Uttar Pradesh government cracked down to end a three-day-old strike by its employees as well as teachers parity with central government employees in allowances.

With these arrests, the number of the arrested employees has reached about 20, an official said.

The arrested include an agriculture department employee slapped by District Magistrate A.K. Ghosh Friday.

The striking employees have been taken into custody on charges of violating the Essential Services Maintenance Act, which the Mayawati administration clamped after declaring the strike illegal.

According to government employees and teachers joint action committee member Ram Kumar Yadav, policemen stormed the residence of the group's convenor S.P. Tiwari and threatened his wife and children.

"Only after a large number of neighbours came out of their houses did the police team leave but not without smashing the window panes and doors of Tiwari's residence," Yadav alleged.

Meanwhile, work in most government offices, which are not closed on Saturdays, were nearly paralysed with most employees staying away from work.

Government-run hospitals were the worst hit as all paramedical and ministerial staff were on strike. Hundreds of patients remained unattended in hospitals across the state capital.

Akhil Bhartiya Udyog Vyapar Mandal president Sandeep Bansal was arrested after he called for closure of all markets here as a mark of solidarity with the striking employees.