The Karnataka government on Monday prohibited strikes, non-cooperation and any other form of disobedience by public servants and health workers engaged in providing health services related to COVID-19.
In the wake of repeated instances of doctors, paramedics and health workers working for the government or hired on contractual basis going on strike and threatening to stop work, Chief Secretary T.M. Vijay Bhaskar on Monday issued an order prohibiting strikes.
“In my capacity as chairman of the State Executive Committee, I hereby prohibit strikes, non-cooperation, disobeying or refusal to work related to health services; non-submission of reports, non-compliance to the orders issued by the higher authorities by any public servant, health personnel, regular, contractual and outsourced employees of the Health Department, ” the Chief Secretary said in the Order.
Noting that the State government has declared COVID-19 as an epidemic under Section 3 of the Karnataka Epidemic Disease Ordinance, 2020, the Order said: “Disobeying or refusal of the work will amount to contravention of the provisions of the said Acts, Rules or Orders and will attract penal provisions specified in the Acts.”
