MADURAI

The State-wide indefinite strike by Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers' Organisations - Government Employees’ Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) that began on Tuesday received considerable response in Madurai district with the staff boycotting work in majority of government offices and schools.

Most government offices, including the Collector’s office and the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj department office in the city, wore a deserted look with only minimum number of staff turning up for work.

Functionaries from JACTTO-GEO claimed that more than 80 % of the teachers in government-aided and government schools also boycotted work. “Only those teachers in probationary period and those given extension after retirement reported for work apart from a minuscule number of teachers not wanting to join the strike,” said K. Neethiraja, district coordinator, JACTTO-GEO.

He added that a significant number of schools had no teachers on Tuesday, following which they had to be closed. Officials from School Education Department, however, were not available for a comment on the impact of the strike.

The call for indefinite strike was given after Tamil Nadu government failed to fulfil the long pending demands of JACTTO-GEO. An earlier call issued in December was withdrawn after Madras High Court intervened in the issue following litigations.

The key demands included the replacement of the new pension scheme with the old pension scheme, revising the salary of secondary grade teachers on a par with those working with Union government, regularisation of pay for employees like anganwadi workers who earn wages as per special time scale, addressing pay anomalies, and disbursal of 21 month arrears for the delay in implementation of Seventh Pay Commission recommendations.

Repealing of the government order forming a ‘Staff Rationalisation Committee’ to identify non-essential posts and posts that can be outsourced is also part of the demand since it would reduce employment opportunities. JACTTO-GEO has also opposed the government’s move to close down a number of anganwadis and schools.

As part of the strike, demonstrations were held in Madurai, Usilampatti, Melur and Tirumangalam. The demonstration in Madurai Collectorate premises attracted huge turnout of employees.