The West Bengal government on Friday announced that its employees cannot avail casual leaves or half day leaves on Tuesday and Wednesday next when central trade unions have called for a nationwide general strike.

No leave will also be allowed on the day preceding the two-day strike or following it, a government notification said on Friday.

"It has been decided that no casual leave for absence either in the first half of the day or in the second half or for the whole day nor any other leave shall be granted to any employee on the said dates," the notification signed by Additional Chief Secretary H K Dwivedi read.

An employee would lose his or her salary for being absent on those days "unless such absence was due to hospitalisation of the employee, bereavement in the family, severe illness and absence continuing prior to January 4, 2019," it said.

Ten central trade unions have called for a nationwide general strike on January 8-9 against the "anti-people" policies of the Centre and have placed a charter of 12 demands before the Central government.

The employees who are on leave on Friday shall have to report for duty on Monday, it said adding that disruption of vehicular traffic will not be a reason for granting leave.

All heads of offices will issue show-cause notice to the employees who will remain absent on those specified days and disciplinary action will be taken against those not responding to the show cause notice.

The notification is applicable for all state government offices and "those provided with grants-in-aid by the state government."

Though the Mamata Banerjee government is against all sorts of strikes and bandhs in the state, the central trade unions that have called for the general strike had on Wednesday urged West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to play a "positive role in ensuring that their demands are fulfilled."

The charter of demands includes minimum wage, universal social security, workers' status and including pay and facilities for the scheme workers, against privatisation of public and government organisations.

The 10 central trade unions that called the strike are INTUC, AITUC, HMS, CITU, AIUTUC, AICCTU, UTUC, TUCC, LPF and SEWA.

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