'Public Servants Are Like Schoolchildren': Madras HC On 'Double Wage' Plea For Working On Holiday

The court made the comments while disposing of a petition by members of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Employees Union seeking "double wages" for having had to work on April 14, 2018, a declared holiday.

A view of Madras High Court.

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New Delhi: The Madras High Court, while dealing with a petition filed by Kudankulam Nuclear Power Employees Union seeking “double wages” for working on a holiday, said that public servants are like school children, they always look forward to public holidays and exemption from work, Bar and Bench reported.

Justice GR Swaminathan of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court said that while the state had declared April 14, Ambedkar Jayanti, a public holiday as a mark of respect to the sentiments of citizens, Dr. Ambedkar himself would have wished for people to work more. 

"Public servants are like school children. Grant of holidays and exemption from work are always welcome. Dr Ambedkar was someone who would have wanted people to work hard instead of declaring a holiday on his anniversary. We followed a system of sentiments and symbolism and believing in courtesy instead of efficiency," the court said.

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The court made the comments while disposing of a petition by members of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Employees Union seeking "double wages" for having had to work on April 14, 2018, a declared holiday.

Though the court directed the project director to grant the claimed monetary benefits, it said, "Courtesy rather than efficiency is our hallmark. Like Bharat Ratna Shri. APJ Abdul Kalam, he (Ambedkar) too would have said don't declare holiday on my death, instead work an extra day, if you love me." 

It is to be noted that the trade union members had moved the Madras High Court seeking double wages for round-the-clock shift workers who had worked on Ambedkar Jayanti that fell on a second Saturday in 2018. The management had rejected their claim saying since the workers were already given the benefit of working on a holiday, their demand of twice the wage could not be fulfilled.