‘No work, no pay’ order puts govt in dock

In a move that has stirred sharp criticism, the Nayab Singh Saini-led Haryana Government has invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ principle against hundreds of contractual employees who went on a 15-day strike from July 20 to August 3, 2024.

The decision, announced on April 16, has drawn flak from Opposition leaders and employees’ unions, who accuse the BJP government of betraying its ‘pro-employee’ image — especially when it comes to low-paid contractual workers handling crucial responsibilities across departments amid a staff crunch.

While the government maintains that the action was in line with rules and meant to send a strong message against public inconvenience, critics argue the employees were unfairly penalised for demanding long-overdue regularisation of their services.

“These employees work without job security and lack union support, unlike their regular counterparts. They were singled out for harsh punishment,” said an employee leader.

Though the government enforced salary cuts for 15 days, it avoided breaking the continuity of service, possibly to prevent political backlash ahead of the October 2024 Assembly polls.

Employees claim the principle of ‘equal work, equal pay’ has long been denied to them, even as ‘no work, no pay’ was swiftly enforced. Many now face significant financial strain as a result.

Subhash Lamba, president of the All-India State Government Employees Federation, called the action unjustified. “They were virtually forced to strike due to the state government’s irrational policies. This flies in the face of the BJP government’s ‘pro-employee’ claims. The government could have treated them as on ‘leave of kind due’. As a goodwill gesture, the decision should be withdrawn,” Lamba said.

A senior government official defended the move, saying: “The public suffered due to the strike. This disciplinary action is intended to send a message that such disruptions will have consequences.”

Meanwhile, Rajeev Jaitley, media adviser to the Chief Minister, insisted the BJP remains committed to employee welfare. He pointed to the Haryana Contractual Employees (Security of Service) Bill, 2024, passed late last year. “It ensures that contractual, ad hoc, or outsourced staff hired via Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam can now work until the age of superannuation. This is a first-of-its-kind initiative in the country,” he said.

Haryana Tribune