Kolkata, March 9 (IANS) To counter the strike called on Friday by the joint forum of state government employees demanding payment of dearness allowance (DA) arrears, the West Bengal government on Thursday issued a notification warning action against those employees remaining absent from work on the day of protest.
The West Bengal government in the notification said that no leave will be granted to the state government employees on Friday either in the first half, second half or the entire day.
However, the notification will not be applicable in case of hospitalisation, death in the family, severe illness and absence continuing prior to March 9 or employees who had been on childcare, maternity and medical leave, and earned leave sanctioned prior to March 9.
In the notification, the state finance department has said that employees other than those in the exempted category, remaining absent from duty on Friday will be first slapped with a show-cause notice asking him/her to explain why disciplinary action will not be taken against him/her for such unauthorised absence.
In absence of satisfactory explanation, according to the state finance department, the absence will be treated as dies-non (break of service) and no salary will be admissible for that day.
However, the joint forum representatives said that they will continue with the strike even after this formal notification from the state government.
According to them, the state government issued a similar warning last month when the forum observed a pen-down strike at the state government offices for two consecutive days.
“We are pushed to the wall. The court has even observed that dearness allowance is the right of the employees and not a fruit of charity. So come what may, we continue with our strike,” a forum office bearer said.
On March 6, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, while addressing a session of the Assembly, said that her government will not be able to provide additional dearness allowance to the state government employees “even if she is beheaded”.
“The previous Left Front government denied payments of DA arrears year-after-year. After we came to power, we increased the DA payment manifold. How much more do you want? What else will satisfy you? If you do not like me, you can behead me,” Banerjee added.
–IANS
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