7th Pay Commission: Delay in implementation, but 5 day working week soon

The government is however not in favour of increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60.

While the government employees in Maharashtra have threatened to go on strike due to the non-implementation of the 7th Pay Commission, the government on the other hand is considering a five day working week.

The employees have been demanding a five day working week with Saturday and Sunday as holidays. The Chief Minister's office is understood to have given the nod for a five day working week. The clause however is that the employees would have to put in an extra 30 minutes of work between Monday and Friday.

New working pattern

Currently, state government employees work six days every alternative week. They have been pressing for a five-day week for over a decade but it has always been turned down citing workload and inconvenience to the public as reasons. In the past, the government had suggested that employees work that extra half an hour for five days but the employees' unions had rejected it. But this time, they have accepted the proposal.

30 minutes extra

These 30 minutes will be divided into two parts. Employees will have to resume 10 minutes earlier in morning and leave office 20 minutes later than their current timing in the evening. The unions have accepted this formula, which is why the CM has also indicated his acceptance, sources said. "Since the working hours of Saturday would be adjusted with half an hour extra work during the weekdays, there won't be any inconvenience to people," said Subhash Gangurde, general secretary of the Maharashtra state employee's confederation.

No increase in retirement age

The government is however not in favour of increasing the retirement age from 58 to 60. The CM has not given any indication about agreeing to this demand. The employee's union is clear that it would keep following up the issue with the government.

Implement 7th Pay Commission

Meanwhile the employees have decided to go on strike over the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. They are demanding the state accept January 1, 2016 as the implementation date for the pay commission. If the government fails to accept this demand by July 12, they have threatened to go on strike.

OneIndia News