West Bengal Strike: Legal Notice to State Government, Demand to Withdraw ‘Dies Non’ Notification

West Bengal Strike: On behalf of the Joint Committee of West Bengal Panchayat Employees’ Associations, Advocate Dipjyoti Chakraborty has sent a legal notice to the Additional Chief Secretary of the State Government. This notice, sent on July 8, 2025, challenges a government notification issued against the strike scheduled for July 9. The notification, issued on July 7, stated that show-cause notices would be issued to employees participating in the strike, and the “dies non” (no work, no pay) policy would be applied to deduct their salaries. This development has escalated the conflict between the state government and the panchayat employees to a new level.

The Core Issue

According to the recent notification by the West Bengal government, strict measures are to be taken against employees participating in the July 9 panchayat strike. These measures include enforcing “dies non,” which means cutting the day’s pay, and issuing show-cause notices for disciplinary action. In response, the Joint Committee of Panchayat Employees’ Associations decided to pursue legal action and had their lawyer send a formal notice to the state government.

Key Points of the Legal Notice

The notice sent by Advocate Dipjyoti Chakraborty highlights several crucial points:

• Violation of Constitutional Rights: The notice argues that the government’s notification infringes upon the employees’ constitutional right to peaceful protest. It claims that attempting to intimidate employees to prevent them from striking is legally baseless.
• Precedents from Past Cases: The notice references two previous court cases:
  • The March 2023 Case: During a strike on March 10, 2023, the government issued a similar “dies non” notice. The Calcutta High Court had ruled at the time that there is no legal provision for “dies non,” and the matter is still pending.
  • The 2015 Case: Another case from 2015 is also pending, in which the state government had given an undertaking to the High Court not to take any harsh measures until the case was resolved.
• Demand for Immediate Withdrawal: The legal notice demands the immediate withdrawal or cancellation of the controversial notification within six hours of the email’s receipt, warning of further legal action otherwise.

Employees’ Reaction and Future Steps

Panchayat employee unions have stated that they remain firm in their demands and are not intimidated by the government’s threatening notification. They maintain that peaceful protest is their democratic right, and they will not back down. If the government does not withdraw the notification, they are prepared for a more significant legal battle.

This incident clearly indicates the deteriorating relationship between the state government and its employees. It remains to be seen what action the state government will take in response to the legal notice and what the ultimate outcome of the panchayat employees’ strike will be. The impact of this conflict on panchayat services will also be closely watched.