50% govt staff to rotate shifts, union wants 33% strength

50% govt staff to rotate shifts, union wants 33% strength

Julie.Mariappan@timesgroup.com

07.07.2020

State government employees on Monday reverted to a six-day week schedule with 50% working alternatively on two consecutive days. The differently-abled and pregnant staff are exempted from work.

While there was no comprehensive order from the government for the staff to revert to the previous strength, department heads issued orders detailing the roster for every two days. The finance department directed its officials, personal staff, shroff, record assistants, dispatch assistants, record clerks and office assistants to be present on all working days. Those skipping duty as per the 50% roster drawn with effect from July 6 even for a single day will have to submit a leave application.

There is a sense of fear among the staff following a spike in cases after 50% employees were told to turn up on May 18. Seventyseven positive cases were recorded until Monday in the Secretariat, with staff being home-quarantined or hospitalised.

“It is best to revert to the 33% strength to contain the spread of the virus as there are difficulties in seating arrangements in departments like finance where the staff have to work in cramped spaces. The government should consider granting leave on Saturday to sanitise the offices for two days,” Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association president Peter Anthonysamy said. The association has approached higher-ups for distribution of kabasura kudineer and homeopathic medicine to 6,000 staff members in Fort St George from this week. With the air-conditioning switched off, the corridors and offices are dotted with pedestal fans now and automatic sanitiser dispensers have been made available.

The agriculture department has instructed its officers and staff members to remain accessible through electronic modes of communication. Notwithstanding the above alternate working system, the staff off duty should attend to calls at any given point of time. “The safety of staff is very important. Even with 33% strength, people were getting infected. So the foremost need is orientation of the staff on how to keep themselves safe. When no one is around, they keep the masks below their nose,” said a secretary of the department.

Though MTC operates 250 buses in the city for the government staff, Jacto-Geo coordinator G Vasudevan said there were plenty of vehicles in each department which could be diverted for staff who are otherwise at the mercy of autorickshaws.