US federal employees fear mass firings as buyout deadline nears

WASHINGTON - Fearful US government workers weighed whether to take a buyout offer from the Trump administration ahead of a Feb 6 deadline, as officials pressed ahead with

a restructuring effort that could dramatically shrink the US civil service.

Federal worker unions urged their members not to take the offer and sued to block it, with a court hearing scheduled for 1pm Eastern time on Feb 6.

At least 40,000 have taken the deal so far, according to a White House source, about 2 per cent of the government’s 2.3 million civilian workforce.

President Donald Trump has deputised his billionaire adviser, Mr Elon Musk, to lead the overhaul, which has sparked protests and accusations by opposition Democrats that the world’s richest person is taking over the government.

Mr Musk’s team at the Department of Government Efficiency has stirred security and privacy concerns as it has demanded to see classified materials and examined payment records at the Treasury Department.

A White House official told Reuters that Mr Musk and his engineers have appropriate security clearances and can see payment data but do not have the power to change it.

Mr Musk and his team are operating in “full compliance with federal law, appropriate security clearances, and as employees of the relevant agencies, not as outside advisers or entities”, the White House official said.

As the Feb 6 deadline neared, the Trump administration has repeated its warning that most federal agencies are likely to be downsized, a message seen by workers as pressure to accept the buyout offer.

Employees at the General Services Administration, which manages federal properties, have been bracing themselves for mass layoffs after officials said they plan to cut spending in half.

“It’s just chaos, no one is able to do any real work now,” said one employee, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Colleagues were deleting personal documents from their work computers, the person said.

Another worker at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, who also asked not to be named, said the mood inside their agency was one of fear and confusion.

Staff believe they will likely lose their jobs whether or not they accept the offer, the person said.

Mr Musk’s team is now examining personnel records at the weather-research agency, according to another source.

Others adopted a more defiant stance, saying they would not cooperate with what they saw as an effort to destroy the non-partisan civil service.

“I am scared about losing my job, but I am not going to give in. They need to push me out,” said an employee at the Department of Agriculture who also spoke on condition of anonymity.

Ms Joyce Howell, an attorney and union leader at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said 200 people showed up for a lunch-time meeting seeking advice.

“They were determined to find a way to stay at EPA,” she told Reuters.

The biggest target of

Mr Musk’s overhaul so far has been USAID,

the agency that distributes nearly US$50 billion (S$67.6 billion) in foreign aid annually.

Its headquarters have been closed to staff, who were told this week they will be put on administrative leave as of Jan 31.

The agency employed 4,675 people as at last March, including 1,450 overseas, government figures show.

Mr Trump said on Feb 4 that he also wants to shutter the Department of Education, which employs 4,245 people.

The Centres for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which manages the country’s two largest health programmes, said it is also working with Mr Musk’s effort.

The Wall Street Journal reported that Mr Musk’s aides had accessed key payment and contracting systems.

Mr Trump has defended Mr Musk’s actions and says the federal bureaucracy is too bloated and filled with people who oppose his political agenda.

‘Do your job’

Federal agencies have been told to compile a list of those who have been hired within the last two years who lack full employment protection and would be easier to fire – roughly 13 per cent of the workforce, according to government figures.

Several hundred protesters, joined by Democratic lawmakers, gathered outside the US Capitol, chanting “Do your job” as they urged Congress to stop Mr Trump’s restructuring.

Congress has the authority over spending matters under the US Constitution.

“Who is this unelected billionaire, that he can attempt to dismantle federal agencies?” said Democratic Representative Gerry Connolly, whose effort to subpoena Mr Musk was blocked by Republicans in the US House of Representatives.

Mr Trump’s fellow Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress, have cheered his overhaul and have shown no interest in stopping it.

“It’s not a power grab,” House of Representatives Speaker Mike Johnson said at a press conference.

“I think they’re doing what we’ve all expected and hoped and asked that they would do for years.”

Labour unions that represent federal employees have sued to block Mr Trump’s buyout offer, which claims to pay workers until Sept 30, saying his administration lacks legal authority and cannot guarantee it will be funded.

“What is happening today is not a drive to streamline government but to destroy it,” Mr Everett Kelley, head of the American Federation of Government Employees, told a congressional hearing.
REUTERS