Trade unions condemn order prohibiting govt staff to go on strike

Following the DoPT order, the Department of animal husbandry and dairying had issued an order cautioning its employees of participating in the protests

Trade unions have condemned the latest central government order cautioning the government employees of ‘consequences’ if found participating in any form of strike, including protests, sit down etc. 

Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) said in a statement that the order attempts to ban the government employees of their democratic rights for collective assertion/expression by threatening them against participating in any form of protests pressing for their legitimate entitlements and demands relating, granted by the Indian Constitution. 

“The organised protests and agitation for restoring the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), particularly by the government employees is becoming louder and widespread [and] is gradually turning out to be a political challenge to the Modi govt and the BJP ruled states. Such desperation has given rise to such arrogance seeking to ban all forms of democratic protests by the govt employees”, said Tapan Sen, general secretary, CITU. 

The order cautioning the employees was issued by the Department of Personnel & Training (DoPT) to secretaries of all central government departments on Monday, in the wake of district-level rallies planned across the country by the National Joint Council of Action (NJCA) for the restoration of the old pension scheme (OPS). 

“There is no statutory provision empowering the employees to go on strike. The supreme court has also agreed in several judgments that going on a strike is grave misconduct under the Conduct Rules and that misconduct by the government employees is required to be dealt with in accordance with the law, Any employee going on strike in any form, including protest, would face the consequences which, besides deduction of wages, may also include appropriate disciplinary action.”, the order had said.

Meanwhile, the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) said that though the state government in Maharashtra assured the protesting employees of forming a committee to look into the question of granting them the OPS but on the other hand, threatens the employees at the central level.

“The entire central government employees, paramilitary forces, state government employees and teachers are in a nationwide movement against the no guarantee pension scheme introduced by the BJP government in 2003. After 19 years of its implementation, the NPS is totally exposed and the employees are just getting Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000 as pension after contributing 10 per cent of their wages every month. Government employees have every right to fight against this injustice and discrimination”, said Amarjeet Kaur, general secretary, AITUC.

Following the DoPT order, the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying issued an order cautioning its employees of participating in the protests.