Public services throughout Tamil Nadu are braced for major disruption following the announcement by JACTO-GEO — the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers' Organisations and Government Employees' Organisations — of an indefinite statewide strike beginning January 6. This escalation comes on the heels of failed negotiations at the Tamil Nadu Secretariat, where a high-level meeting with Public Works Minister EV Velu, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu, and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi ended in a stalemate.
“We have just emerged from a series of trade union meetings where we have been discussing this issue,” said a union representative. “We are concerned that this latest development does not address our core concerns and that we have no choice but to go on strike
However, the main issue at stake is the reinstatement of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS), which is considered essential for the financial security of the employees. Apart from this, the other demands being raised by the council include immediate recruitment for the delayed vacancies in various services, a whole new review of the scales of pay, and improved conditions of services for teaching and administrative staff.
If the strike proceeds, it is expected to paralyse schools and government offices across the state. Although the government is yet to issue an official statement regarding the strike threat, the government has acknowledged the difficulty of satisfying all these demands and at the same time being responsible about public finances. However, the leaders of the trade unions have stuck to their guns, and they have announced the strike action to run indefinitely until they receive written statements from the government.
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