The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Agitations, poll verdict led to announcements: CITU

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 19, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Agitations, poll verdict led to announcements: CITU

By Our Special Correspondent

CHENNAI, MAY 18. Welcoming the Chief Minister's decision to drop cases and disciplinary proceedings against government employees, the Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) urged the government to go a step further and withdraw all punitive measures against different sections of the working people.

It should give up measures such as attempts to privatise public sector units, denial of wage revision, dearness allowance, pension and bonus, non-implementation of court directions and denial of civil rights.

In a statement, the State CITU president, J.Hemachandran, and the general secretary, A.Soundarajan, said the government's announcement of concessions and reversal of certain ``undemocratic and anti-people measures'' stemmed from Statewide agitations and the people's poll verdict.

The Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam general secretary, S.Thirunavukkarasu, said the Chief Minister, having realised the people's indignation, made the announcements.

He urged the government to restore the other rights wrested from the people, besides reactivating the farm workers' welfare board.

The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association (TNGEA) welcomed the Chief Minister's decision to withdraw all punitive measures and disciplinary proceedings against government employees and teachers, ``though the move was a belated one.''

The TNGEA president, N.L.Sridharan, and the general secretary, R.Muthusundaram, urged Ms.Jayalalithaa to invite the employees' associations for talks to find a solution to issues such as the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act, reinstatement of 10,000 road maintenance workers and employees of Khadicraft and withdrawal of GOs on surrender leave, bonus, dearness allowance and pension.

`Hold talks with unions'

The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Union (TNGEU) urged the Chief Minister to hold talks with associations and unions to resolve all pending issues.

The president, K.Balasubramanian, and the general secretary, P.S.Soundarapandian, said in a statement that there was no mention of withdrawal of cases against the employees and teachers under the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act (TESMA).

Steps must be taken to revoke the TESMA and the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), disburse cash relief to the families of 40-odd deceased employees, provide jobs to the kin of the deceased, restore recognition to unions and associations and include the strike period in the service of the employees.

While welcoming the restoration of increments which were cut and revocation of the punishments awarded to government employees, the general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Government College Teachers' Association, S.Ganesan, urged the Chief Minister to bring back constituent colleges under the State Government administration and restore recognition to the association.

The Tamizhaga Aaramba Palli Aasiriyar Kootani general secretary, S.Abdul Majeed, said the announcements only indicated the Chief Minster's change of heart.

He expressed the hope that more such announcements would follow.

The Tamil Nadu Aluvalalar Kazhagam (C and D)'s State president, V.Padmanabhan, welcomed the Chief Minister's appeal to the employees to maintain cordial relations with the government, besides extending cooperation to it.

The State secretary of the Students Federation of India, L.Shunmuga Sundaram, urged the government to control the price of textbooks, fill vacancies in colleges to ensure maintenance of the teacher-student ratio at 1:30, properly implement the reservation policy, curb capitation fee and reopen the Madras Law College.

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