(From my old article)
Government Employees' Strike
The TamilNadu government has been coming up with repeated
statements implying its financial crunch. The way finances have been
managed in the state has often left a lot to be desired. Like free
electricity to the farmers and the likes.
True, the cutting down on benefits may be primarily driven
by the lending agencies like the Worldbank. But people often forget to
see other restrictions that instutions like worldbank impose. For e.g.
recently they have been pushing the Indian government and state
governments very hard to cut down on free electricity and huge subsidies
in other sectors.
It is time-tested fact, that when economy is not exactly
pumping money into the coffers, the administrative agencies tend to
cut down on the benefits to employees. This is nothing new.
Government employees have been languishing at their canteens
most often than at their seats, and taking more breaks than the time
they actually are productive. This has its roots in many other
decisions like injudicious recruitment not based on merit, minimal
enforcement of job disciplines & rules and the major factor
*JOB SECURITY*.
How often have we heard people say it is like a "Government Job".
referring to minimal work hours, incredible job stability, regular
bonuses, umpteen paid vacations and so on. Ofcourse, one has to agree
that the downside about a government job is that, one is paid less
than private sector.But that is the nature of the beast. That, most
of the employees make do the difference, with bribes is totally
another issue.
What came as a rude shock to the state employees, was the fact that
their jobs are no more secure than any other jobs. Well, I for one
fully empathise with their feelings. If you were promised a secure
job and down the lane, when you are told that you will be let-go, it
is grossly unfair.
But, the entire discussion does not take into account, the gross
violation of terms and conditions of any employment agreement. Whatever
may have been disagreement, the employees can not go on with an
indefinite strike. May be a token-strike like what political parties
do and should have seeked recourse to Justice by court of law.
What we seem to hear from the employees is that, they will go on an
indefinite strike, still expect to be paid, still expected to remain
employed by the government.
Taking law into their hands by blackmailing the government into
submission should never be allowed to succeed. Once a precendent is set,
it will almost be, next to impossible in controlling such state-wide
break-down of the entire government system.
There-in lies my total support to the government. How fair is it to
expect an organisation ( be it government or private) to keep paying and
keep people employed for an indefinite period, be whatever may be the
disagreement with employees. How will the government run. Who will run
the government?. The cheif minister ?. The Cheif Secretary ?.
After all, one is hired to work and not to go on indefinite
strikes. Can you even imagine, a strike of similar magnitude happening
in a private sectors or in other countries?.
What baffles me, is the way the media & courts have been
projecting the entire thing. It is as if these striking employees were
all righteous employees who were working more than 40 hours a week every
week in their career and worked for the improvement of organisation, and
were suddenly dismissed for no fault of theirs ! It is as if the
government wants to dismiss all existing employees ( 13 lakhs & more) and
recruit 13 lakh new employees ?. Is it even remotely possible that such
thing could happen?
That exactly is what the employees seem to have taken advantage
of ! Even after repeated warnings by government, the employees chose to
on an indefinite strike and hence the government was well within its rights
to dismiss people who do NOT WORK.
The other dimension about the strike, is the role of the unions.
Unions typically are based on political patronage and rarely do they talk
or fight for any righteous cause.The unions force even people who are
not willing to participate in the strike. Not participating is never
an option. That is the nemesis of the entire system; political patronage.
Some months back, the employees of the transport department went
on indefinite strike. The entire transportation system paralysed. Then
not a single soul bothered to support them. So did the doctors. They went
on indefinite strike and after some pungent observations from the
high court bench, they withdrew the strike.
The state of the employees' mind seems to be heading in a very
bad and misguided direction due to dirty politics.Hope they realise the
trick that the opposition parties have up the sleeve and return to work.
One thing is for sure though, Government jobs are not going to be
same again.
