Do not reduce holidays even if working days are reduced: Service organizations with same demand

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Service organisations have generally welcomed the proposal to increase the number of working days in government offices to five. The organisations opined that the loss in working hours can be compensated by amending the working hours. All the organisations demanded that the holidays of the employees should not be reduced. These suggestions were made when the first meeting of service organisation representatives in this regard was held online yesterday. GAD Secretary K. Biju presented the government proposal in the meeting called by Chief Secretary Dr. Jayathilak.

K Biju pointed out that steps will have to be taken to reduce leaves and increase working hours on the central model to make up for the shortfall due to giving one more day of holiday. The Chief Secretary announced that the meeting decisions will be forwarded to the Chief Minister and a meeting of the organisation representatives will be called for detailed discussions.

The organisations criticised the government for not submitting a clear proposal in this regard as an agenda and for calling the meeting online. The organisations of government doctors and medical college teachers raised the limitations in the meeting. They also demanded that special discussions be held. The Kerala Secretariat Association said that it would oppose it if the move affected service matters like holidays, and that holidays should not be cut and that flexi-time should be allowed in work. About 80 service organisations participated in the meeting.