Resume work, Chief secretary tells government staff

Chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on Thursday appealed to government employees,  including teachers, to call off their strike and resume work immediately.

CHENNAI: Chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on Thursday appealed to government employees,  including teachers, to call off their strike and resume work immediately. She referred to the observations made by the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court and said there are other means for the employees to express their concerns.

“It is not as if the employees are not having any other method to express their protest or to resolve the dispute in an amicable manner without disturbing the work.  The employees have to adopt other alternative methods for redressal of their grievances,” said a statement from Girija Vaidhyanathan adding that no association of government employees or teachers can claim they are entitled to paralyse the entire administration and the educational institutions by resorting to strike.

The High Court had observed that there was a prohibition to go on strike under Rule 22 of the Tamil Nadu Government Servant  Conduct Rules, 1973. The strike would, therefore,  violate the service rules governing the government employees.

Meanwhile, on Thursday around 250 members from 20 associations under JACTTO-GEO banner staged a protest at Chepauk urging the government to fulfil their demands which include the abolition of new pension scheme and setting up of Eighth pay commission. “We have staged this protest today to continuously put pressure on the government,” said M Subramanian a member of JACTTO-GEO.

But, a section of government employees unions said they have postponed the protests over the demand. President J Ganesan, said they have given one month’s time to the Chief Minister. “We met the Chief  Minister earlier and he said he will look into the matter. If our demands are not by then, we will start the protests again,” he said.

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