Chennai: While a majority of government employees and teacher associations decided to postpone their indefinite strike after the talks with Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami on Wednesday, a section of them has decided to go ahead with the strike from Thursday.
Of 79 associations from the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (Jactto-Geo), 21 associations have decided to go on indefinite strike from Thursday demanding to implement the old pension scheme and revise the pay structure.
“Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palanisami has assured us that the government will announce interim relief by September 30 and it will swiftly act on implementing the old pension scheme after receiving the report from the committee. Hence, we have decided to postpone by our protest until October 15,” said P. Ilangovan, one of the state convener of Jactto-Geo.
Some associations allege that Chief Minister did not give the definite answer to the demands. “Former CM Jayalalithaa had made a poll promise to implement the old pension scheme. The government should scrap the new contributory pension scheme (CPS) immediately. The Chief Minister did not give any assurance on pay revision,” said A. Mayavan from Tamil Nadu High and Higher Secondary Graduate Teachers Association and one of the coordinators of Jactto-Geo.
The government schools and offices were hit by the strike on August 22 by Jactto-Geo. However, the joint action committee was split on conducting the indefinite strike.
