The Hindu : We won't be cowed down by threats: striking employees

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Oct 28, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu

We won't be cowed down by threats: striking employees

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI OCT. 27. Striking government employees and teachers are firm on going ahead with their agitation programme despite the arrest of about 60 office-bearers of various associations and disciplinary action against thousands of employees.

Demonstrations by teachers and employees in front of all taluk offices in the State will be organised tomorrow as per schedule, according to the Joint Action Council of the Tamil Nadu Teachers and Employee Organisations-Government Employee Organisations (JACTTEO-GEO).

Alleging that the police had sealed the association offices in Cuddalore and Villupuram, the council said the police personnel were threatening the striking employees and their family members that they would be arrested if they did not report for duty from tomorrow.

One of the convenors of the council, K. Balasubramanian, said the employees would not be cowed down by such threats and they would go ahead with their agitation programme. He charged that though the Government had invited them for talks, it had failed to create a congenial atmosphere. Pressure tactics were being adopted by the Government to break the strike, which, he said, would not succeed.

Meanwhile, the DMK president, M. Karunandihi, said his party would not remain a mute spectator to the ``repressive measures'' being adopted by the Government against striking employees.

In a statement today, he said the employees were protesting in support of their ``just demands,'' and the Government should find an amicable solution to their demands by inviting them for talks.

Our Cuddalore Staff Reporter reports:

Close on the heels of the arrest of three key leaders of the district unit of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees' Association yesterday, a team of revenue department personnel sealed the office of the Highways Ministerial Staff Association here last night.

According to sources in the association, the action followed the active participation of a majority of highways department personnel in the strike. One of the arrested — Purushothaman — was the State secretary of the ministerial staff association and district secretary of the TNGEA.

A police picket had been posted near the association office on the Anna bridge.

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Medical and Sales Representatives' Association, in a statement here expressed solidarity with the striking employees. The association resorted to a token strike on October 23.

Our Coimbatore Staff Reporter reports:

The PMK founder, S. Ramadoss, has urged the Government to call leaders of employees and teachers' unions for unconditional talks to end the ongoing strike.

The strike had been mishandled by the Government and the arrest of the agitating workers and their union leaders was condemnable, he told reporters.

The Government made no effort to avoid wasteful expenditure, but it had embarked on austerity measures with respect to benefits to employees.

The Government had stated in the last budget that Rs. 45 lakhs had been spent on publicity, including television coverage.

``In the interim budget, it had stated that Rs. 4 crores had been earmarked for the same purpose, including purchase of television cameras.''

How funds could be wasted thus when the striking employees were being told that the Government had to embark on austerity measures, he asked.

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