US Judge Denies Unions' Request To Force Gov't. To Pay Workers During Shutdown - Reports

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 16th January, 2019) A US Federal judge denied a request by unions representing air traffic controllers and other federal employees to order the government to pay workers during the ongoing shutdown, media reported.

US District Judge Richard Leon denied a request by the National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) and the National Treasury Employees Union to force the US government to pay its federal employees during the shutdown, ABC news reported on Tuesday.

Leon said the shutdown is a political issue and the judiciary cannot get involved in it, the report said.

On Friday, NATCA filed a lawsuit against the federal government for allegedly violating the Fifth Amendment by denying federal workers compensation without the requisite due process, the report noted.

Tuesday marked the 25th day the government was closed - the longest shutdown in US history. About 800,000 federal workers have either been sent home or forced to work without pay since the shutdown began on December 22.

The government shut down as Congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump continue to be at odds on a new spending bill. Trump is asking Congress to approve $5.7 billion for constructing a wall on the US border with Mexico as part of the spending bill, while Democrats refuse to provide the funds for such a barrier.