HYDERABAD, Sept 14: The workers of the three taluka councils of Hyderabad, Latifabad and Qasimabad here on Saturday called off strike following prolonged negotiations with the local authorities.

The three general secretaries of the CBA unions; the Nazim of Hyderabad city council, Haji Moinuddin Shaikh; the Nazim of union council-3, Hyderabad city, Q. Hakim; the Naib Nazim, UC-11, Qamaruddin Shaikh; and an officer of the finance department of the district administration attended the meting.

Later, the spokesman for the workers and general secretary of the CBA union, Hyderabad city council, Akram Rajput, told newsmen that a delegation of the workers would meet the concerned authorities on Monday and make inquiries why the monthly share of the defunct municipal corporation had been reduced from Rs14,900,000 to Rs12,600,000.

He said that it was incomprehensible that the government had not released the share of the three taluka councils for last June.

He said if the problems of the employees were not resolved in two months on permanent basis, they reserved the right to go on indefinite strike and tender their resignations en masse.

Rajput said that the worst sufferers were the poor retired employees and the families of the deceased employees, who had not been paid even their life insurance amount.

He said that for the last 18 months, Rs28,000 per month was deducted from the salaries of the employees for the group insurance but the amount had not been deposited with the State Life Insurance Company.

He demanded that the group insurance premium should be paid to the insurance company without any further delay.