Thiruvananthapuram: Govt has convened a meeting of service organisations on Oct 17 to discuss a proposal to reduce the number of working days in govt offices to five a week, with Saturdays off in addition to Sundays.The meeting, convened by the principal secretary of the general administration department, will be held online at 11am. Organisations have been asked to submit their views on the proposal by Monday.While several service organisations have welcomed the move to declare Saturdays holidays, some have opposed the proposal to curtail the existing public holidays and casual leave benefits. Govt is considering the five-day work week to improve administrative efficiency and ensure employee welfare.The proposal had figured in the recommendations of the previous Pay Revision Commission and the report submitted by the administrative reforms commission headed by former chief minister V S Achuthanandan.Representatives of service organisations, including those affiliated with Left and Congress-led UDF, are expected to participate in the meeting. It is learned that the chief secretary is also likely to attend the meeting. Both Left- and Right-leaning service organisations are broadly in favour of introducing a five-day work week.Employee representatives have stressed that the change should not come at the cost of existing benefits. Joint council general secretary K P Gopakumar said employees’ leave entitlements and other rights should not be curtailed as part of the proposed reform.The proposal has also triggered concerns over its possible impact on public service delivery. Critics argue that reducing the number of working days could limit the days available for citizens to access govt services.
Service organisations are also likely to oppose any move to reduce existing leave entitlements as a condition for introducing a two-day weekend. Govt’s final decision is expected to depend on the feedback received from the organisations.
