Mumbai: The state government employees may have to soon endure the drudgery of work only 5 days a week like their counterparts in the Union government.
But they will have to slug it out an additional 45 minutes daily at the workplace, which means 3.75 additional hours in a week.
Of course, they will do so with the prospect of an extended week end waiting around the corner. Any gazetted holidays on Fridays or Monday will become an additional impetus for getting away from city confines.
However, all emergency services will be excluded from this 5-day work regime. Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray has agreed to this demand and directed that the proposal be submitted immediately for cabinet approval.
The main argument propelling the demand is that it will curb absenteeism, lead to better family-workplace balance and thereby increase productivity and efficiency.
The State government gazetted officers’ organisation had a meeting with CM Thackeray on Tuesday to discuss their various pending demands. One of the key demands was a 5-day work week and holidays on all Saturday and Sundays.
Currently, state government employees get holidays on second and fourth Saturdays. "In today's meeting, this demand was again raised. A high-level committee was set up to study the modalities of this arrangement during the Fadnavis dispensation and it had come out in its favour. This was conveyed to CM Thackeray.
It was also explained that 45 minutes additional work be equivalent of an extra half day’s work. None in the administration was opposed to the proposal. The chief minister was amenable and gave the go-ahead after hearing all sides," a senior officer present in the meeting said.
Chief Minister Fadnavis too had agreed in principle to a 5-day week but the final decision was not taken.
No decision on increasing retirement age: The organisations had also demanded increase in retirement age from 58 to 60 years. But the CM did not promise them anything. He simply said that he would think over this demand.
