After the Kerala High Court ordered the state government to prevent its employees from participating in the two-day Bharat Bandh announced by the National Convention of Workers, the Left Front administration issued a dies non order on Monday, 28 March, saying that those employees participating in the strike on a working day will not be paid.
VP Joy, the state's chief secretary, said that the "unauthorised absence of employees participating in the strike will be treated as dies-non", under Rule 14 (A) of Part 1 of Kerala Service Rules, PTI reported.
The order stated that no leave of any nature will be granted to state government employees unless he or any member of his immediate family falls sick.
The government also said that district collectors, HODs and district police chiefs will take action if needed to "give protection to those not on strike and to ensure unhindered access to government offices and institutions".
Participation of Govt Workers in Strike Illegal: HC
The state government's order comes after the Kerala High Court declared the participation of government employees in the ongoing nationwide strike as illegal.
The bench, comprising Chief Justice S Manikumar and Justice Shaji P Chaly had asked the state to issue directions in this regard, saying that no government employee is permitted to participate in the strike as per Rule 86 of the Kerala Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 1960.
It also added that trade unions will not not be permitted to impede the proper functioning of the administration.
"It is the duty of the welfare government, to protect not only the citizens, but to continue with, all the government work, as expected. In other words it should not be slow down or it should not attempt at slowing down government work or in any act, which has the tendency to impede the reasonably efficient and speedy transaction of the government work," LiveLaw reported the court as saying.
The nationwide strike was declared on 28 and 29 March to protest against the central government's "anti-worker, anti-farmer, anti-people, and anti-national policies".
(With inputs from PTI and LiveLaw.)
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