For the first time in decades, approximately 15,000 clerks in Haryana have gone on strike, causing government offices to grind to a halt and leaving senior officers without vital support for effective governance.
The reason behind the strike is a single demand - an increase in their basic pay to match the salaries of similar-ranked officials in other government departments. The clerks argue that back in 1957, government clerks received a basic pay ranging from Rs 60 to Rs 175 per month, which was on par with or even less than the pay of other officials at that level. However, today, officials in positions like JBT (junior basic teacher), junior engineer, deputy ranger in the forest department, and multi-purpose health workers (MPHW) in the health department receive a basic pay of Rs 35,400 per month, while clerks only get Rs 19,900 per month, according to Vikrant Tanwar, the president of Clerical Association Welfare Society (CAWS).
The clerks initiated their strike on July 5 this year, with their main demand being an increase in basic pay to at least Rs 35,400 per month. The Haryana Ministerial Staff Association, affiliated with Sarv Karmachari Sangh - an umbrella body of government employees in Haryana, also joined the protesters a few days later. The strike has severely impacted official functioning, affecting tasks such as land deal registrations, vehicle registrations, issuance of driving licenses, birth certificates, and student passes for roadways buses. Furthermore, the functioning of departments at district headquarters and block levels across the state has been disrupted.
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Vikrant Tanwar stated that office assistants, deputy superintendents, and superintendents are also participating in the strike, bringing the total number of strikers to nearly 25,000.
The protesting clerks have pointed out that neighboring Punjab offers its clerks a basic pay of Rs 32,100 per month, which is significantly higher than that of Haryana. In the run-up to the 2014 state Assembly polls, the Congress government, led by Bhupinder Singh Hooda, had promised to upgrade pay scales for clerks to match Punjab's if voted to power. However, the Congress lost the elections, dashing the hopes of the clerks and other employees.
During their strike, the clerks are not just boycotting office work but also organizing dharnas (protests) and blood donation camps at the district level. In an effort to resolve the standoff, Haryana CM’s Officer on Special Duty (OSD), Jawahar Yadav, has held a meeting with the protesters once. Yadav explained that granting a basic pay of Rs 35,400 per month is currently not feasible, but they hope to find a resolution soon. To avoid disruption in tehsils (administrative divisions), they are considering granting more powers to tehsildars so that land registration work can continue smoothly.
Yadav also mentioned that the strike hasn't had a major impact on the functioning of offices. However, the protesting clerks have decided to participate in rescue operations and relief-related tasks in Ambala, Yamunanagar, Sirsa, and Fatehabad districts, which have been affected by floods.
The clerks are steadfast in their demand for fair pay, and the government is working towards a resolution. Both parties hope to find common ground soon, bringing an end to the strike and restoring the smooth functioning of government offices.
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