WASHINGTON, Feb 13: In a setback to labor unions, a US district judge ruled that the Trump administration can continue to carry out a federal worker buyout program, part of the White House plan to overhaul the US federal government, Deutsche Welle reported.
The unions, representing more than 800,000 federal employees, said the administration's "deferred resignation" offer to federal civilian employees was unlawful.
The plan was set in motion by an email sent to nearly all federal employees on January 28 titled "Fork in the Road," where the Office of Personnel and Management (OPM) said employees could choose to resign now and retain all pay and benefits until September 30 or face an uncertain future. Interested employees needed to only reply with the word "resign" to take part.
Judges Dr Navaraj Thapalia and Ambika Niraula sacked
The unions argued that OPM's buyout directive was "stunningly arbitrary" and violated the Antideficiency Act, a federal law that bars agencies from spending more money than Congress appropriated, according to DW.
OPM is ignoring the adverse consequences resignations could have on the government's ability to function, the unions argued.
US District Judge George O'Toole last week delayed the initial February 6 deadline for employees to resign to February 10. He then that day put the deadline on hold while he considered the case.
But on Wednesday, O'Toole dissolved his own order, concluding that the unions lacked legal standing to challenge the program, DW reported.
Lawyers for the unions have not commented on the decision, but they are still eligible to push the case to the next level, an appeals court.
According to the White House, tens of thousands of workers have already taken the government up on its offer, the German media outlet reported.
