A section of the Karnataka Secretariat employees have decided to skip work on Friday, by calling for "Secretariat Bandh", to protest against the state government's move for "rationalising the workforce" by reducing staff, along with other demands. Terming the bandh call as "illegal", the government on Thursday said it has taken note of the move "very seriously”.
Asking all officials and employees of the Secretariat to compulsorily attend office, Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar in a circular said, in case of absence without prior permission from superiors, it will be considered as "dies-non" (not qualifying for any remuneration). He also warned of disciplinary action and a criminal case against those causing obstruction to officials and staff, willing to attend work on Friday.
About 5,000 employees working in the Secretariat and Legislature at Vidhana Soudha, Vikasa Soudha and M S Building, are expected to skip work on Friday, Karnataka Government Secretariat Employees Association President P Guruswamy claimed.
They are against the government's plan to implement the recommendations of the Karnataka Administrative Reforms Commission-2, and have alleged that the state government has not reached out to them to address their concerns in this regard. “For now, we have organised a one-day bandh. If the government goes ahead with the Administrative Reforms Committee-2 recommendations to reduce government staff, we will boycott work indefinitely in the coming days,” Guruswamy told Deccan Herald.
Some of their demands include that the government should not appoint retired officials for various posts, it should not remove 542 junior assistant posts, and employees should be allowed to work in other departments on deputation.
The Commission has recommended "rationalising the workforce" at government offices by scrapping non-essential posts.