Minister for General Administration Lal Babu Pandit has accused trade unions of civil servants of effecting transfers and promotions and engaging in other kinds of unprofessional activity, on the strength of their affiliation to certain political parties.

Speaking at a meeting of the State Affairs Committee (SAC) of parliament on Monday, Minister Pandit admitted that the ministry had failed to transfer and promote civil servants on the basis of genuine evaluations, due to the political pressure exerted through trade unions.

"Trade unions are just focused on transfers of civil servants who are close to them rather than advocating the promotion of professional rights and welbeing, and this is because there has not been an election of the official trade union so far," said Pandit. "If the ministry refuses their demands for transfers to lucrative offices they do not cooperate in their duties," he added.

As many as 26 trade unions of civil servants affiliated to different political parties have been exerting undue pressure for the transfer and promotion of civil servants affiliated to them.

Minister Pandit accused the civil servants of negligence in their service to the people and of being self-centered. According to him, replacement of civil servants has also become difficult as ministers do not cooperate in transfers other than those sought by themselves.

Meanwhile, SAC has directed the Ministry of General Administration (MoGA) to organise the election of the official trade union within the ongoing fiscal year and inform the ministry about this by July. Though the Civil Service Act envisages an official trade union of civil servants, an election for such a body has not been held so far.

"The committee directs MoGA to convene the election of the official trade union and inform the ministry accordingly within this fiscal year, in order to make trade unions more responsible and systematic," SAC Chairman Dil Bahadur Gharti said, reading out the committee decision.

The decision comes after lawmakers demanded that the election of the official trade union should be convened at the earliest. "What is it that prevents the minister from convening an election of the official trade union?" CPN-UML lawmaker Rameshwor Phuyal asked Pandit during the meeting.

However, during deliberations in the committee, lawmakers were divided whether to allow the political trade unions of civil servants to continue. Though Phuyal strongly supported the trade unions, lawmakers Brijesh Gupta and Prem Suwal demanded that party affiliated trade unions be dissolved and that the major political parties also express their commitment to that end.

Responding to the concerns expressed by lawmakers, Minister Pandit said that he is committed to holding the election of the official trade union at the earliest.

Meanwhile, SAC has directed MoGA to relocate the office of the civil servants records office to a safer place by mid April. The committee directed the ministry to relocate the office after Pandit informed it that the old office premises may cave in any time.

Published on: 24 March 2015 | Republica