Service organisations welcome five-day week proposal for govt. staff

Service organisations in general welcomed the move to introduce a five-day week in government offices at a meeting called by Chief Secretary A. Jayathilak here on Friday.

The weekly loss of seven working hours resulting from a five-day week can be made up by rearranging the daily working hours, the organisations suggested. At the same time, the number of holidays currently available to the employees should not be reduced under the proposed system, they said.

Mr. Jayathilak had convened the online meeting to collect the feedback of the organisations. General Administration secretary K. Biju also was present. At the meeting, however, the government had not presented a detailed plan, which invited criticism from the organisations.

Organisations representing government doctors and medical college teaching staff urged the government to hold separate meetings to discuss specific issues affecting them under the proposal.

To slash expenses

The representatives of around 80 organisations, including the NGO Union, NGO Association, Joint Council, Secretariat Action Council, Kerala Secretariat Association, NGO Sangh and the Kerala Secretariat Employees Association, attended Friday’s meeting. The government proposal for a five-day week is reportedly aimed at slashing operational expenses and government expenditure in general.

The Kerala Secretariat Association said in a statement that the government was yet to make public its own proposal with respect to the five-day work week. The government should do so at the earliest, the association said. The association also urged the government to consider the possibility of introducing flexible working hours for the employees.