Over 400 members of Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisation and Government Employees’ Organisation on Sunday sat on a day-long fast here, pressing for a 10-point charter of demands.
One of its State coordinators, S. Gunasekaran said the members had been fighting for their livelihood issue of old pension scheme for long. “While he was the Leader of the Opposition, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin supported our cause. But, now he does not have the heart to implement it.”
The agitators expressed their disappointment over the announcement of the State Government in the State Budget 2025 about reviving leave surrender with effect from April 2026. “Then, why is the 2025 budget talking about what needs to be implemented in 2026?” he asked.
The leave salary had come handy for the Government employees in payment of school or college fees at the start of the academic year. While the previous AIADMK government had suspended it for a year due to COVID-19, the present Government had suspended it until further order, he said.
Similarly, the protesters demanded scrapping of Government Order 243 for Primary School Teachers, which denied them fair promotional chances. It had affected 90% of the teachers, Mr. Gunasekaran said.
The Government teachers and employees demanded removal of the anomaly in fixing the salary for teachers in high schools and higher secondary schools on par with that of teachers in Central schools.
Filling up of vacancies and regularisation of work for road workers during the 41 month period of removal from job.
JACTTO-GEO coordinators K. Karuppaiah, Selvaganesan, P. Muthiah and Pitchai were among those who participated in the hunger strike.
Published - March 23, 2025 08:28 pm IST
