TIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Government’s salary challenge has hit a roadblock with UDF-affiliated service organisations raising protest against the “forced” collection. Government has asked those employees who are not willing to contribute one month’s salary to submit a statement with the reasons for the decision. NK Benny, general secretary of the Kerala NGO Association, said the government was forcing employees to cough up money more than their net salary.
Since deductions like PF contribution and loan repayments have not been excluded from the definition of salary, employees will have to donate more than their net salary, he said.Meanwhile, Finance Minister Thomas Isaac has said that the protesting organisations were shy to say ‘no’ in public. “They are shy to say no and hence the agitation and protest. None should forget the 2002 scenario in which employees had to contend with basic salary,” he said.
Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala wrote to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan to desist from compulsory donations. “Government should stop extortion in the name of flood relief. Government is threatening employees for one month’s salary,” he said.“Already their festival allowance was put on hold for flood relief. It will be cruel to snatch one month salary,” he said.
Eighty percent of government employees have nominal salaries. Salary amount is their only source for children’s education, loan repayment, healthcare, etc. Salary challenge is justifiable in case of highly-paid staff like IAS officers, he said. Former chief minister Oommen Chandy said that compulsory donations cannot be accepted.