Southern States - Tamil Nadu   

Split in govt. employees federation

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI JULY 22. The JACTTEO-GEO and COTA-GEO, a federation of employees and teachers unions, which spearheaded the recent strike by government employees, suffered a setback today with the Tamil Nadu Government Officials Union (TNGOU), dissociating itself from further activities of the organisation.

The union's move came as two other constituents violated a decision taken at a recent meeting of the federation, said the TNGOU president, G. Suryamurthi, who is also a struggle committee member.

Talking to newsmen here, Mr. Suryamurthi said the federation decided not to appeal against the Madras High Court verdict nor seek the support of political parties in resolving the impasse caused by the recent strike by government employees. But the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association and the Employees Union sought the support of the All-India State Government Employees Coordination Committee, which announced a nationwide movement against the Tamil Nadu Government. This apart, these unions expressed their opinion about yesterday's Supreme Court verdict.

The attitude of these unions, he felt, would only jeopardise the on-going attempt by various unions to get the dismissal orders served on government employees. As staff welfare was the foremost issue, the union decided to dissociate itself from the federation. However, it would continue to work in coordination with like-minded unions to have a favourable settlement with the Government. Already four unions had come in support of the TNGOU. If necessary, it would form a new federation and this was already communicated to the Government, he added.

CM holds discussion

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister is reported to have held discussions today with her senior Cabinet colleagues, officials and the Advocate-General, N.R. Chandran, in the wake of the Supreme Court suggestion to the Government.

Already the State Government initiated the process of reinstatement, calling the employees for a personal enquiry.

Now it might ask them to tender an unconditional apology as had been suggested by the court, officials indicated.

However, according to Nalini Chidambaram, senior counsel, when the Government counsel, K.K. Venugopal, said he wanted to take instructions from the Government on implementing the court suggestion, it observed: "You don't get instruction from the Government. You instruct the Government about what we have stated".

According to the CITU general secretary, T.K. Rengarajan, the judge told Mr. Venugopal that the court would be forced to direct the Government to withdraw the dismissal orders on Thursday if it failed do so by then. Rajeev Dhavan, senior counsel for the union, contended that the employees, instead of tendering an apology letter, could submit an undertaking that they would abide by Rule 22, which prohibited them from going on strike.

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