The Haryana Government has decided that no mass casual leave will be allowed to the employees to participate in Dharnas or demonstrations or strike or agitations, a move criticised by the Opposition Congress.
In a circular issued by General Administration department on Saturday, all Administrative Secretaries, Heads of Departments, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Managing Director or Chief Executive Officer of Boards or Corporations and Registrars of the Universities in State, have been asked to comply with the orders.
The circular says that the State Government resolves the genuine demands of the employees whenever received from time to time from various Employee Unions or Associations. The Supreme Court has also held in several judgments that going on a strike is a grave misconduct under the Conduct Rules and the misconduct by the Government employees is required to be dealt with in accordance with the law or rules.
It has also been mentioned in the provision(s) of Rule 7 and 9 of the Government Employees (Conduct) Rules 1966, no employee shall engage himself or herself or participate in any demonstration and resort to or in any way abet any form of strike in connection with any matter pertaining to his service or any other Government employee. The employee shall also not involve himself or herself in any criticism of Government. The right to form an Association does not include any guaranteed right to strike.
Criticising the move, Kiran Choudhry, leader of the Haryana Congress legislature Party (ClP), said, “It is a direct attack on the fundamental rights of the employees who are suffering under the State Government which has
been resorting to anti-employee policies.