Govt to convene crucial meet on Friday over introduction of five-day work in govt offices? 

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The chief secretary has called another meeting of service organizations in connection with the introduction of a five-day work week in all government offices. The meeting will be held online at 10 am on Friday. The meeting, which was postponed earlier, is now being convened. The chief secretary has directed that one representative from each organization should attend.

The administrative reforms commission and the pay commission had recommended that the working day be reduced from six to five. Instead, the proposal is to increase the working hours by an hour. The service organizations are not opposing this. However, the organizations are intensifying their opposition to the proposal of reducing public holidays.

There was a proposal earlier to make fourth Saturday a holiday along with second Saturdays. However, the organizations opposed the proposal of reducing the casual leave of employees. The new recommendation is to make every Saturday and Sunday a holiday.

The working hours of government offices presently are seven hours. In cities, it is from 10.15 am to 5.15 pm and in other places, it is from 10 am to 5 pm. If the working hours are extended by an hour and a half in the morning and evening on weekdays, it will be seven and a half hours. This will replace the Saturday holiday. In that case, offices that currently start at 10.15 am should start at 9.15 or 9.30 am. 5.15 pm will have to be changed to 5.30 or 5.45 pm. Factors including school timings in the state should be considered in this regard.