Chennai, Feb 25 (UNI) Members of the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers
Organisations-Government Employees Organisation (JACTTO-GEO) on Tuesday
staged a massive protest demonstration across the State to press their 10-point
charter of demands.
The agitation was held in all districts of the State after two rounds of talks the
Association representatives had with the Tamil Nadu government on Monday
failed.
The marathon talks were held between JACTTO-GEO office-bearers and a
four-member team of Ministers, but failed to arrive at an amicable solution ad
the JACTTO-GEO decided to go ahead with the agitation in line with the
decision taken at the State-level meeting held in Tiruchirapalli.
The JACTTO-GEO had earlier called for a state-wide token strike for the day,
but after the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court asked the Association
not to resort to the strike as the government was holding talks with them, they
decided to stage a protest demonstration across the State, in which they
shouted slogans against the ruling DMK for failing to fulfill their 10-point charter
of demands, which included restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, even after
being in power for the last four years.
All the JACTTO-GEO members took a day's casual leave to take part in the protest
demonstration held in all district headquarters, in which they insisted the DMK regime
to concede their demands.
Many State government offices in Tamil Nadu, including those in Chennai, wore
a deserted look as the employees went on ‘mass casual leave’ as part of the
demonstration.
During the demonstration, JACTTO-GEO members said "Chief Minister M.K.Stalin
had extended support to our demands when he was the Leader of the Opposition.
But he failed to fulfill them after coming to power four years back."
“Despite having met the Chief Minister seven times and the group of Ministers thrice
in the last four years, the State government is seeking more time to consider our
demands. It is not acceptable and we strongly condemn", they said.
JACTTO-GEO State Coordinator Srinivasan said the two associations were forced
to resort to the agitation, he said.
After Monday's meeting, the representatives, who took part in it said, the Ministers,
who heard their demands, said they would inform the Chief Minister about this. Later,
after meeting the Chief Minister, the Ministers met the representatives of associations
and sought four months' time.
.
Even as the talks were held, the Madurai Bench of the High Court, hearing a PIL seeking
to restrain the JACTTO-GEO from going ahead with the agitation in violation of the rules,
directed the Association not to hold protests as a Committee was formed by the government
and talks were on.
The Division Bench of Justices J. Nisha Banu and S. Srimathy then adjourned the PIL, by
four weeks.
UNI GV 1500