THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A section of government employees has announced a statewide strike on Wednesday, demanding service benefits, including salary revision, reinstatement of leave surrender, and clearance of dearness allowance dues. The strike is supported by trade unions affiliated with Opposition parties and the CPI.
In response, the state government has decided to take a firm stance, warning employees of “dies-non” (no work, no pay). Chief Secretary Sarada Muraleedharan instructed department heads not to grant leave on January 22, except for urgent reasons. She also directed that police protection be provided to those who choose to report to work.
Additionally, district collectors have been authorised to arrange transportation for non-striking employees if needed. Employees participating in the strike without attending office will be considered as “dies-non.” Striking workers have also been warned of prosecution if they engage in any activities that damage public property.
Despite the government’s warnings, striking employees have shown no intention of backing down. M S Irshad, convener of the secretariat action council, said that government employees would not be intimidated by the “dies-non” threat. “The government can deduct one day’s salary, but we have already suffered salary losses for around 500 days during the LDF rule over the last 103 months,” he said.