Kolkata, March 13: Various unions representing West Bengal government employees have initiated a complete strike today under the banner of the Sangrami Yuvato Manch (Joint Movement Forum). This action aims to express their dissatisfaction regarding the government’s alleged hesitance and inaction in disbursing the Dearness Allowance (DA).
According to the Sangrami Yuvato Manch, the state government has shown significant disregard for a Supreme Court order issued last month. This order mandated that 25% of the DA dues from 2008 to 2019 be paid by March 31.
Moreover, the Supreme Court directed that the DA for employees should be equivalent to that of central government employees, with payments for the accumulated dues from 2008 made in installments. The implementation was also to be phased.
The forum’s coordinator, Ghosh, stated, “However, the state government has yet to take any initiative to pay the 25% DA dues from 2008 to 2019.”
Instead, the state government has requested additional time from the Supreme Court to make this payment by December of this year. Consequently, the decision for a complete strike was made for today.
Ghosh mentioned that not only state government employees but also teachers from various state-run and aided schools, municipal corporation staff, and employees from autonomous bodies and state government enterprises will participate in the strike.
He asserted, “This strike will be historic and has not been witnessed in the last fifteen years.”
The state government, eager to prevent the strike, has already issued a notification mandating attendance for the concerned employees.
Additionally, the government has decided that no employee will be granted casual leave or any other type of leave on this day, whether for the first shift, second shift, or a full day.
However, exceptions will be made for certain situations, such as hospitalization, family bereavement, serious illness, ongoing absences prior to Friday, and employees who have taken pre-approved leave for childcare, maternity, medical reasons, or earned leave.
The state government has also clarified that any absence not covered by these reasons and without approved leave will be considered ‘dies-non,’ resulting in no salary for that day.
“Employees who do not respond to show-cause notices will face disciplinary action. All actions under this order must be completed by March 31.”
My name is Himanshu Tiwari. I am an experienced content writer with several years of expertise in the field. Currently, I contribute to Daily Kiran, creating engaging and informative content across a variety of categories including TECHNOLOGY, health, travel, education, and automobiles. My goal is to deliver accurate, insightful, and captivating information through my words to help readers stay informed and empowered.
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