Maha govt employees seek 5-day week; threaten to go on strike

Maharashtra government employees have threatened to go on indefinite strike from February 13 if their long-pending demand for five-day week work schedule and grant of other facilities on par with central government staff were not met.

"We have been demanding a five-day week for quite sometime. Also, we have been demanding various facilities which are there for the central government employees. We also want the retirement age of the state government employees to be increased from current 58 to 60," G D Kulthe, chief advisor of Maharashtra State Gazetted Officer Federation told PTI.

The federation has submitted the proposal for a five-day week work schedule and other facilities to the government staff before Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and it is likely to be discussed during a meeting with him on February 4, he said.

"We (employees) would work for an additional 40 minutes every day, in order to compensate for the loss of working hours," he said, adding their other demands of education allowance, transport allowance and child care leave for women should also be met.

The federation members yesterday held a meeting with Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar on the issue.

"The meeting was positive. It was encouraging for us. We are hoping for the best," he said.

"We also hope of getting some result during a meeting with the chief minister. If a decision is not taken, then we will definitely go on strike from February 13," he added.