Ad hoc allowances trigger strikes in state sector

As a retired Government official, I have been observing with interest the present trend of paying substantial lump sum monthly allowances to government officers. As I rightly thought and was to be logically expected, this has caught on like wildfire and has now spread to many sectors of government service. Still more are on the warpath. Some are already on strike and others are threatening strike action soon. This would cripple government services to the people in many areas.

If I recall correctly, this concept of paying allowances started with government medical officers. Then all other health care workers clamored for similar treatment and launched strikes causing great inconvenience to the public. I am not sure whether that issue in the health sector was settled or is still pending. University teachers too got a number of allowances after a long drawn strike and now the non academic staff in all state universities have been on strike for over two months demanding similar allowances. The universities remain completely shut down which is a serious situation.

Recently, the Government decided to pay a monthly allowance of Rs.25,000 to all executive officers in government services and this week all non executive officers (teachers, clerical officers, technical officers etc. plus other ancillary staff) launched a two day token strike. Further strike action has been threatened if they are not paid the relevant allowance. But the Secretary to the Treasury has announced that the latter demand cannot be met without imposing additional tax burdens on the public.

In my view, a sustainable solution to this problem is making the salary scales of all job categories in the government sector strictly job specific. The qualifications and skills required and the tasks to be performed should be taken to account in setting the scales without ad hoc allowances being paid haphazardly as at present. Best is to do away with allowances totally. In this regard, government will do well, if it looks at how government salary scales are drawn in other countries where state sector salary disputes have been minimized and government services are known to be rendered smoothly.

In yesteryear, to my knowledge, the system was different. Unlike now no blanket allowances were paid to government officers of any category for the use of private cars for official travel. Some middle level technical officials like Agricultural Instructors were paid a monthly “commuted allowance” to cover field travel by motor cycles. Those who were entitled to use private cars for official travel had to submit traveling claims for the relevant mileage and this had to be approved by an authorized official.

Last but not least, it is best for all government sector employees to bear in mind that as their salaries are met through the government budget, the public at large, rather the institutional hierarchy, are in reality their paymasters. They are therefore duty bound to render the required services to the public without disruption by launching strikes now occurring with increasing frequency

A.BEDGAR PERERA
( email bedgarperera@gmail.com)