Twenty-five civil service cadres, excluding the administration cadre, under the banner of the "Inter-Cadre Discrimination Elimination Council (ICDEC)," are set to begin a two-day pen-down strike starting on Tuesday to press home their demands.
The information was disclosed in a press release issued by the ICDEC on Monday.
Officials from the 25 civil service cadres will observe the program across the country on Tuesday and Wednesday, from 9am to 12pm.
However, emergency services, including hospital emergency departments, will remain outside the purview of the pen-down strike.
The program will be observed in protest against temporary suspensions and departmental cases filed against officials from various cadres.
The demands include the establishment of a “functionally professional” ministry, the abolition of quotas in promotions to the post of deputy secretary, and the assurance of equality among all cadres.
According to the press release, 12 members from the 25 cadres were recently suspended temporarily for writing on social media.
Although various government authorities had previously assured them of a resolution, the matter has remained unresolved for a prolonged period.
Furthermore, departmental proceedings are currently underway against several officers.
In contrast, no punitive action has been taken against officers of the administration cadre, despite their involvement in activities beyond government regulations, they said.
Additionally, complications have been deliberately created in the interest of a specific cadre group, particularly affecting cadres in health, education, statistics, postal services, family planning, customs, and taxation, they added.
The council also objected to the quota recommendation made by the Public Administration Reform Commission regarding the deputy secretary post.
It stated that protest programs were launched because the decision was made without any consultation with the ICDEC.
Earlier, a full-day work stoppage was observed on March 2, followed by a one-hour pen-down strike across the country on December 24 last year, and another human chain on December 26.
