Rajasthan employees told to not wear T-shirts, jeans

The Rajasthan Labour Department has said its employees cannot wear jeans and T-shirts while on duty, triggering protests.

In an order released on June 21, the department said despite earlier notices refraining employees from appearing in casual wear while on duty, people had continued to flout the norm.

The clothes looked "indecent and were against the dignity of the office", it said.

Labour Commissioner Giriraj Singh Kushwaha, who issued the order, said: "It is just a suggestion to come to office in a dignified way. The dress should symbolise that the person is an employee in the office and not a visitor."

He said no disciplinary proceedings were mentioned for flouting the norms. "Hence it cannot be termed as a dress code rule," he added.

But the Rajasthan Karamchari Mahasangh is not happy. It has called the order "undemocratic". It vowed on Wednesday to get the order revoked.

The Akhil Rajasthan Rajya Karamchari Samyukt Mahasangh said no such order can be issued in a democratic nation.

"We will submit a memorandum to the Labour Commissioner to revoke this order," the employee leader Gajendra Singh Rathore said.

The Rajasthan government had in March tried to impose a dress code for college students but it was revoked following protests.