CHENNAI: After a long gap, the Tamil Nadu government is bringing back the ‘six-day working week system’ for its employees from May 18, to compensate the working hours lost during the lockdown period. Hereafter, Saturdays will be working days. Further, the government offices so far functioning with 33 per cent employees, will function with 50 per cent employees starting Monday.
A retired government officer recalled that the five-day workweek system was introduced during the tenure of former Chief Minister MG Ramachandran in the mid-1980s. Later, during the tenure of former Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, six-day workweek was resumed. However, there was opposition to this from employees. In 1991, Karunanidhi brought back the five-day workweek.
Government employees associations and secretariat employees associations have agreed to this change, saying such a measure cannot be avoided in the prevailing situation. The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association president M Anbarasu told Express: “We are ready to work for as many days the government wants us to because it is a difficult period. But the government should look after the welfare of the employees.”
Peter Anthonysami, president of Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association, concurred with the view. He expressed confidence that this would be a temporary arrangement.A Government Order issued said all Group A Officers and all heads of offices should attend work on all working days. The government would arrange buses for the staff.
The ‘six-day working week system’ should be followed in all government offices from State secretariat to district/field level office including Commissions, Boards, Corporations, universities, companies, institutions, societies, etc., The departments such as police, health, district administration, local bodies etc., should continue to function as per the earlier instructions.
“In the start of the week, the first batch shall work for two days at a stretch (Monday and Tuesday) and second batch shall work for next two days followed by the first batch for next two days. The off-duty staff should also attend office if called for” the G.O said.
“A system of level-jumping in the submission of files in the reporting hierarchy should be put in place by the head of the department, if necessary,” the G.O said, and pointed out that all staff members should always be available for official work and accessible through any electronic mode of communication.
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