CHENNAI: The members of the Federation of Associations of Revenue Employees (FERA) of Tamil Nadu will boycott SIR work from Tuesday, protesting against “excessive workload, insufficient manpower, deadline pressure, and inadequate training and funding”, the association said on Monday.
Office-bearers of FERA told the TNIE that around 70,000 people, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Supervisors, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, civic body staff, and teachers will boycott the SIR work from Tuesday.
1-day strike by govt unions
With JACTTO-GEO, the umbrella organisation of associations of government employees and teachers of TN — also deciding to go ahead with one-day strike on Tuesday to highlight several of its long-pending demands, a majority of government offices may not be operational. Over 12 lakh associated with JACTTO-GEO may take part in the strike.
Employees absent today will lose salary, says CS
The association has demanded that the collectors immediately stop holding review meetings late till midnight and three video conferences every day in the name of reviews.
The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll, which concludes on December 4, involves distributing and collecting forms, uploading them online, and holding review meetings. The association claimed that SIR was being implemented in haste and without planning. Considering the heavy workload involved in SIR work, BLOs, supervisors, and all officials engaged in the exercise must be provided a month’s salary as honorarium, the federation said.
The JACTTO-GEO, meanwhile, said that despite multiple representations to the state government, the 10-point charter of demands of government employees, particularly restoration of Old Pension Scheme, has not been accepted.
JACTTO-GEO recalled the talks with four senior ministers on February 24 and later with Chief Minister MK Stalin on March 13. Since the government did not fulfil its promises, 12 lakh members have been forced to stage a strike on Tuesday, JACTTO-GEO said.
The Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association (TANSA) also confirmed that their members would take part in the strike. Meanwhile, Chief Secretary N Muruganandam, in a circular to all heads of the departments said the absence of employees on Tuesday will be considered as ‘unauthorised absence’ and they will not be entitled to pay or allowance based on the principle of ‘no work, no pay’.
Part-time employees and those on daily wages and consolidated pay will be liable to be discharged from service if they take part in the strike, the circular said. The CS note said no leave other than medical leave will be allowed on Tuesday. The heads of the departments should send a report on the attendance position by 10.15 am on Tuesday.
SIR plaints: Will history repeat in TN?
The widespread complaints related to the ongoing SIR work in TN seem to be a case of history repeating itself as the ECI had to redo the exercise in 2004 in 33 Assembly seats after an ECI inquiry officer found fault with the SIR conducted two years earlier in 2002