Three-day mass leave planned as 1,000 employees protest government inaction
Secretariat Service Association members will go on mass leave from Sept. 10-12, pressing for a six-point charter of demands.
RANCHI – Secretariat and Directorate work will be suspended as staff plan a three-day mass leave to push for reforms.
The Secretariat Service Association (SSA) has announced a mass leave from September 10 to 12, affecting nearly 1,000 employees.
This decision comes after three months of ongoing protests over long-standing issues that have remained unaddressed by the government.
Siddharth Shankar Besra, SSA General Secretary, formally notified all department heads of the impending shutdown.
"The government’s neglectful attitude has forced us to escalate our protest," Besra stated, highlighting years of ignored grievances.
The Association’s six-point charter of demands includes several critical issues:
Immediate promotions for officials and employees facing years of delay.
Retroactive implementation of promotions to Section Officer posts.
Introduction of a non-functional pay scale for section officers, a common practice in other government services.
Creation of senior-level posts, including Deputy Secretary and Joint Secretary positions, to ensure smooth operations and career advancement.
Filling existing vacancies to prevent administrative disruptions.
Provision of Child Education Allowance and prompt recruitment for original Secretariat Service positions.
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, expressed concern about the strike’s impact: "This shutdown could significantly delay key administrative functions and decision-making processes."
The Association warns that this three-day action is just the beginning of a larger phased protest.
"We’ve exhausted all other avenues for dialogue. This strike is our last resort to get the government’s attention," explained an SSA member.
The protest highlights the growing tension between government employees and administration, with potential ripple effects on public services.
As the strike date approaches, all eyes are on the government’s response to this unprecedented move by the Secretariat staff.
