The stringent action being initiated by the State government against the striking employees marks a watershed in governance. It is for the first time that a popular government has mustered the courage and demonstrated the same in the form of punitive measures backed by appropriate laws and ordinances to call the bluff of the mafias masquerading as labour unions. The latter had never had it so bad in all these years.
Having been used to perennial pampering and undue indulgence by a succession of Central and State governments that had all got stuck irretrievably on a populist spiral, Jayalalithaa’s tough talk and tougher action must have come as a rude shock. The consternation of the union leaders is all too evident as is their dwindling importance and particularly, their loosening grip over their members as more and more employees turn up for work, defying the strike call.
While the red flags have been promptly rubbished, apology letters are the in thing at the secretariat now. What a reversal! Indeed, the harried population that had all along been at the receiving end of the labour terrorism unleashed by the unions, would unhesitatingly say three cheers to the iron lady for boldly belling these big cats and putting them out of circulation.
The ordinance issued by government yesterday to amend the ESMA is a no-nonsense document, quite explicit in its intent and exhaustive in its sweep. Sure, it has to be tested in the legal lab, as it is certain to be, but all the same the fact cannot be denied that for the first time a message has been driven home that the government staff can no longer take their free lunches for granted.
And for the first time provisions have been included to address precisely the issues that have been the source of great torment, not only to the government, but also the people at large. And the ordinance has also plugged many of the loopholes and escape routes through which the aforementioned big cats invariably get back to their routine business of doing nothing, armed not only with a blanket amnesty for their misdemeanours but also getting paid for the strike periods!
Here are a few samples:
* The government’s notification in the official gazette expressing its intention to prohibit strikes is good enough. If still an employee fails to turn up for duty, he is deemed to have ‘admitted having committed the misconduct to knowingly and voluntarily warranting punishment’. These all knowing characters can no longer plead ignorance nor can they take cover under inadequacy of notice period. Period! And what’s more, their very absence is a self-admission of guilt warranting punishment.
* And the punishment? It could be anything ranging from dismissal from service to a break in service, without conducting any enquiry. Of course! Do we need to enquire, when actually these brave champions were openly parading their might and right in canteens, parking lots, corridors, not to speak of TV cameras?
* It would suffice if the dismissal order is displayed on the notice board of the office where the employee is working or is published in newspapers. And there gets plugged yet another loophole! That’s for those who were scheming to slip through the back door when the postman or the government courier comes knocking on their doors with the offensive piece of paper carrying the bad news.
Not just lawmen, but even psychiatrists seem to have been roped in in the preparation of this document! For it clearly gives a great insight into the psychology of the strikers and their surrogate bosses, namely, the union leaders. Their thought process has been carefully studied and analysed and appropriate ‘checkposts’ have been put in place to prevent these resourceful gentlemen and women from slipping through to safety after completing their mischief.
No doubt the courts will have the final say in all this. But what is to be appreciated is the government’s resolve to take head on the bullying tactics of the unions and its stern refusal to budge to blackmail. For there is no point buckling to bullies nor are blackmailers known to say quits.
The endless pampering has only led to their greed spiralling to bizarre levels. It is high time they are put on the defensive and made to realise that they are easily the most secure lot in this country and that if they throw their weight around any longer, they would be promptly stripped of that weight! All other governments including the Centre would do well to emulate the TN example. It is vital, not only to arrest the profuse financial haemorrhage in the current treasuries, but also to ensure that bankruptcy does not become the permanant inheritance of all future generations of governments.
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