HC moved against TN govt employees' proposed strike

A PIL was today filed in the Madras High Court Bench here seeking to ban the proposed indefinite strike by government employees and teachers in Tamil Nadu.
Petitioner T Sekaran said the Joint Action Council of Government Teachers and Employees Organisations (JACTO GEO) has given the call for the strike from tomorrow to press their demands including restoration of the old pension scheme.
The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.
The council had claimed that 12 lakh teachers and employees would joint the strike, the petitioner said, adding general public would be affected by the proposed agitation.

Though he had sent a representation to the state chief secretary seeking to prevent the employees from going on a strike and ensure smooth functioning of government offices and educational institutes, so far no action had been taken, he contended.
The strike had been called to "threaten" the government and to get more pay, he alleged.

Contending that the employees were already getting adequate salary, the petitioner said if the pay was further hiked, the government would not be able to implement welfare programmes.
Instead of finding alternative way to project their demands, the employees were trying to bring government to a halt by resorting to the strike.

Strike was not a basic right and it was against the service and conduct rules, the petitioner claimed.