Punjab government orders ‘No Work, No Pay’ as employees extend pen-down strike till September 11

The Punjab government on Tuesday, August 8, announced the implementation of the ‘no work, no pay’ principle after state ministerial employees extended their pen-down strike until September 11, intensifying the standoff over their long-pending demands.

Punjab Sanjha Mulazam Manch leader Sukhchain Singh Khera said the employees had decided to continue their pen-down agitation till Friday. Employees working in the civil secretariat, government directorates and district-level offices across the state are participating in the protest.

According to Khera, the government has so far not invited representatives of the protesting employees for discussions on their demands.

Government employees observed the pen-down strike on Tuesday over several long-standing issues, including the release of pending dearness allowance (DA) dues. They are also demanding the withdrawal of a government letter seeking explanations from employees for alleged unauthorised absence on August 27.

In a communication issued on Tuesday and circulated to chief secretaries, financial commissioners and administrative secretaries, the Personnel Department said it had received reports that some employees were marking their attendance but subsequently remaining away from their duties during working hours.

The department said such conduct inconveniences members of the public and warned that employees found absent from duty after marking attendance would be treated as being on unauthorised absence.

Such employees will not be entitled to salary for the period of unauthorised absence under the established principle of ‘no work, no pay’, the government said. It also warned that disciplinary proceedings could be initiated against employees found violating service rules.

Cabinet Minister Aman Arora had earlier appealed to the employees to call off their agitation and return to work, saying that public services should not be disrupted over issues that could be resolved through dialogue.

Arora said the government was prepared to engage with employees, hear their concerns and work towards a constructive resolution. He also maintained that the government was committed to considering legitimate demands raised by its employees.

Despite the appeal, government employees held protests at offices across Punjab on Tuesday and boycotted official work. The pen-down strike was observed at various government establishments, including directorates in Chandigarh, while ministerial employees of several departments joined the agitation.

The employees continued with the strike despite Arora stating on Monday that the agitation was “illegal” and warning of action against those participating in it.

In Hoshiarpur, district president of the employees' union Anirudh Modgil alleged that the government had withheld 18 per cent DA, assured career progression (ACP) benefits and other allowances owed to employees.

In Ferozepur, employees from several government departments staged a demonstration outside the District Administrative Complex (DAC).

Punjab State Ministerial Services Union district president Pippal Singh said employees had received assurances from the government on their demands for a long time, but claimed that no concrete steps had been taken to resolve the issues.

The ongoing agitation has affected the functioning of government offices and caused inconvenience to the public. People who travelled from distant villages to district offices for administrative work were reportedly forced to return without their matters being resolved.

The current dispute dates back to August 27, when more than three lakh government employees across Punjab launched a statewide strike demanding action on several issues, including the release of pending 18 per cent DA dues.

On September 4, the Punjab government announced an increase in DA for around 85,000 government employees recruited after July 17, 2020. Their DA was raised from 42 per cent to 60 per cent.

However, the wider employees' movement continued as unions maintained their demand for payment of outstanding DA arrears. The employees are also citing directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court concerning payment of pending DA and dearness relief dues.

The Punjab government has challenged the High Court's order before the Supreme Court. The state has argued that complying with the direction to clear arrears estimated at around Rs 14,191 crore within a fortnight would not be financially feasible.

With employees extending their strike and the government now enforcing the ‘no work, no pay’ rule, the dispute is likely to continue unless both sides return to negotiations.

with inputs from PTI