The striking employees of the country's city corporations and pourasavas may resume their duties Monday as minister-level negotiations Saturday ended fruitfully, a ministry source said.

The second round of talks will be held Sunday and we are expecting that the crisis will be resolved." State Minister for Forests and Environment Gayeshwar Roy, present at Saturday's meeting told The Dally Star.

Minister for Labour and Manpower Abdul Mannan Bhul yan. Pours Karmacharl Federa tlon convenor Amanullah, member secretary Mohammad Asalat and the leaders of four city corporation employees' unions were present at the

four-hour meeting held in the office of the Labour Minister.

'We asked them to postpone the strike considering the problems of millions of city and town dwellers in the month of Ramzan." Gayeshwar Roy said adding The employees' leaders are insisting on a pay scale."

’We almost reached a consensus. expected to be finalised Sunday." the State Minister said.

Meanwhile, the Dhaka City Corporation authorities received more than 200 applies tions for the post of drivers and 500 applications for cleaners on Saturday to replace the striking employees. Applications would also be reccivcd today (Sunday), official sources said.

The sources said that the authorities had put off serving show cause notices on its permanent employees for the time being as the negotiations started Saturday,

Some 10,000 employees of the Dhaka City Corporation have been on an Indefinite strike since last Monday demanding Implementation of ■ national pay scale for them.

Of them some 5.000 master roll employees, mostly sweepers and squad labourers, were terminated as they failed to Join their duties according to the dlrectlyes of the authorities.

A senior official of the Corporation said that if the crisis was settled through negotiations. withdrawal of their termination orders may be considered.

Meanwhile, a number of political organisations expressed their support to the demand of the striking city corporation employees and urged the government to accept it.

Bangladesh Sanjukta Sra-mlk Federation, Gana Azadl League, Jattya Samajtantrik Dal (Rob) and Ganatantrik Jubo Parishad also condemned the actions of the law enforcing agency members and some armed youths’ on the striking employees.