At a time when the administrative efficiency has reached its lowest ebb, government’s adamant lock-horn with the agitating employees is making matters worse. Employees are the functional necessity of any government. A government employee works tirelessly for the economic and social development of the society. It is the foremost duty of a government to take care of the genuine demands and aspirations of its employees.
Ever since Industrial Revolution came in Europe the demands of the employees have been on a collision course with the greed of the profit-hungry owners. Government service has managed to retain its prestige and glory despite many challenges. Even today when employment in other sectors is available, government jobs are still the much sought-after career option. Employee unions have a history of protecting the genuine rights of the employees. When the employee unions feel that they are not getting their due rights, unions have traditionally resorted to hartaals and strikes. It is a historical fact that not many governments have been able to resist the protests of the employee unions and a majority of times government has to buckle under pressure and accept the demands of the employees.
The Omar-led NC-Congress coalition has been on a course of confrontation not only with its political adversaries but also with the people at large. The manner in which the popular protests are dealt with by using brutal force makes the anti-people character of the present ruling establishment quite clear. The sad memory of 2010 when the present government virtually declared a war against the youth in Kashmir protesting against the grave human rights violation, resulting in the death of about 125 youth and arrests of hundreds of them including minors under the draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) is still fresh in the minds of the people. In spite of responding to the genuine demands of different sections of the people and to demonstrate its ability to deliver the coalition has been acting in the most ruthless manner to suppress popular urges and the demands. Its attitude towards its own employees who have been struggling for better salaries and better working conditions is in no way different. Instead of conceding their genuine demands and honoring its own commitments the government has virtually declared a war against the agitating employees. Leaving them with no alternative but to resort to strike, the last course open to them, the employees strike is met with brutal force to prevent them from marching towards the secretariat or legislature. Closing all channels of dialogue the government has opted to crush the employees strike by the convenient method of using brutal force at its command.
Three major demands of the agitating employees relate to the enhancement of their retirement age from 58 to 60, increase in their salaries as recommended by the sixth pay commission and implemented in most other states in the country and the disbursement of pending arrears, withheld for years on the excuse of financial crunch, and the regularization of all employees engaged for years on daily wage basis. There can indeed be no exception to these demands and there is no reason why the government should not honour its own commitments in this regard. Intriguingly the state government is not willing to pay salaries to the employees in accordance with the recommendations of the sixth pay commission though the union government has even announced the setting up of the seventh pay Commission keeping in view the rising cost of living. While the retirement age of the central services officers has been raised from 58 to 60 years there is no reason for the government why the same standard cannot be applied for other services especially those in the low and middle income groups. There is no reason for the government to withhold arrears due to the employees on the plea of poor financial position. When it comes to granting higher and special salaries to the privileged class of central officers, particularly at the higher echelons of the administration, the government acts too generously even by sanctioning special salaries and allowances for them.
The state government has failed miserably to adopt measures for economy and austerity where this can be done conveniently without causing harm to any sections of the society. The salaries and perks of the ministers, legislators, babus at the top rung of the administration, their travel allowances etc are increased frequently and those at helm never think of financial crunch while doing so, but when it comes to the demand of the low-paid employees or those working in the middle rung of the administration it pleads its inability to do so despite the rising cost of living index. The government spending can be brought down considerably by adopting the measures for economy and austerity. But there is no justification to deny the government employees what is due to them and what has been promised to them. The case of daily wagers for regularization is equally justified on the basis of equality and job security and there is no reason why the government should not accept it. In any case, instead of adopting a confrontation course by using strong arm methods the government should pursue the path of dialogue and conceded all genuine demands of its employees.
The need of the hour is to strike a chord with the employees and agree to their demands. A perennial lock-horn with the employees and the employee union does not augur well in a true democratic establishment.