CHENNAI: The members of Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO), an umbrella body coordinating various government employees’ associations, has decided to take casual leave en masse on Tuesday, as talks with the state government failed to yield any positive results.
The representatives of JACTTO-GEO told media on Monday night that following their inconclusive talks with the team of four ministers appointed for negotiations in the day, they held another round of talks with two of those ministers - Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and PWD Minister E V Velu - during which it was communicated that the government needed another four weeks time.
As it was not acceptable, the representatives said the employees will take casual leave en masse on Tuesday and hold demonstrations in district headquarters. JACTTO-GEO said it represents over 10 lakh employees. On the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court ordering them on Monday to not strike work until the negotiation is over, they said they are yet to receive the specifics about the order. JACTTO-GEO had earlier planned to hold road blockades on Tuesday in all district headquarters.
Earlier on Monday, after the talks with the four-member ministerial team, which also included ministers Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi and Kayalvizhi Selvaraj, the representatives had said the ministers had assured to get back to them within the day after consulting with Chief Minister M K Stalin. Meanwhile, the unions also expected the CM to meet their representatives on Monday, but it did not happen.
The 10-point-charter of demands of JACTTO-GEO include reverting to the old pension scheme, lifting indefinite freezing of periodical surrender of earned leave for encashment, regularisation of workers employed under contract basis like noon-meal workers, anganwadi workers and village assistants, who are working on consolidated pay, setting right the anomalies in promotion and pay for secondary grade teachers, filling 4.5 lakh vacancies, and settling of wages for 41 months for road workers.
In the representation given to the ministers, JACTTO-GEO recalled the assurance given by Stalin when he was the leader of opposition in 2021, that their demands would be fulfilled when DMK comes to power.
An earlier round of talks with ministers happened on February 13, but the assurances given during the talks were not met, according to JACTTO-GEO. The government’s announcement about forming another committee to study the pension schemes pushed the associations towards agitations.