J&K Lieutenant Governor’s (L-G) administration on Friday amended service rules and barred all government employees from organising or participating in strikes.
The provision (under Rule 20(ii) of the Jammu and Kashmir Government Employees (Conduct) Rules, 1971) is as under: ‘Demonstrations and strikes. No Government employee shall resort to or in any way abet any form of strike in connection with any matter pertaining to his service or the service of any other Government employee.’
According to the administration the new provision is not merely declaratory in nature and will definitely entail consequences.
“Therefore, all Administrative Secretaries are requested to circulate these instructions to employees in their respective Department(s) to desist from uncalled for demonstrations and strikes: an act of serious indiscipline and misconduct”, the Government order reads.
It called for strict disciplinary action against employee(s) found involved in organising demonstrations and strikes”.
Around five lakh people work in the government sector in J&K and it is the main recruiting agency in the Union Territory (UT).
CPI(M) leader M.Y. Tarigami criticised the administration. “The order contravenes ILO conventions to which India is a party. Government employees only stage demonstrations and rallies when their legitimate and just demands are not fulfilled. The directive is yet another assault on the employees’ and workers’ constitutional rights,” Mr. Tarigami said.
