Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Govt school teachers to go on indefinite strike from today
CS Warns Protesters Of Strict Action


TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Chennai:22.01.2019

A couple of days after government schools and offices reopened following the extended Pongal holidays, another disruption is on the cards with various teachers and government employees’ unions annoucing an indefinite strike from Tuesday. Chief secretary Girija Vaidyanathan, however, warned of strict disciplinary action against protesting staff.

“More than 10 lakh members from nearly 175 unions across Tamil Nadu will be boycotting work from Tuesday,” said Thygarajan, a member of the Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organization-Government Employees Organization (JACTOGEO). Their charter of demands include scrapping of the new contributory pension scheme and reviving the old pension scheme, regularisation of services of those under special consolidated pay and payment of 21-month arrears of pay commission recommendations. As far as teachers are concerned, those handling secondary grade sections in government schools have requested the government to enhance their pay at par with their counterparts in central government and not to post them in newly opened kindergarten sections in middle schools.

Teachers have also condemned the government's recent initiative to merge elementary schools with nearby high or higher secondary schools stating that it will have an adverse impact on the students’ learning process.

Meanwhile, the chief secretary, in a letter to all the secretaries of government, district collectors and heads of departments, said that participation in the strike, affecting normal functioning of government offices, amounted to violation of TN Government Servants' Conduct Rules, 1973.

The government has reiterated that absence from work will be considered unauthorised and they will not be entitled to pay and allowances on those days.

“It is also informed that application for casual leave or any other leave from the employees, other than medical leave, shall not be allowed during the period of the strike,” Vaidyanathan said.

Staff on daily wages and on consolidated pay are liable to be discharged from service, the letter added. However, JACTOGEO is firm on going ahead with the protest as earlier attempts to gain government's attention and to hold talks failed.

Meanwhile, the office bearers of TN Secretariat Association and TN Government Officials Association and TN Government Office Assistants and Basic Servants Central Association said they would not participate in the strike.

HC trashes plea by Class XII boy against Jacto-Geo stir
Chennai:

The Madras high court on Monday refused to entertain a petition filed by a Class XII student to restrain Joint Action Committee of Teachers’ Organisation– Government Employees Organisation (JACTO-GEO) from resorting to any form of strike or boycott owing to board examinations at hand and to ensure classes and revision examinations are conducted as per schedule. Tamil Nadu is already in bad shape when it comes to NEET-like exams. If the strike is allowed, it would further worsen the condition, said Naveen Kumar Murthi, counsel for the petitioner. However, refusing to admit the plea or to pass an interim order, Justice T Raja wondered why the petitioner chose to approach the court at the eleventh hour though the strike had been announced a month in advance. That apart, the issue has been already seized of by a division bench of the Madurai bench of the high court, he said, adding that it would be appropriate for the petitioner, who is a Class XII student from Chennai, to approach the division bench. As counsel submitted that the prayer in the plea pending before the division bench , the court adjourned the plea to Tuesday. According to the petitioner, the actions of the association would result in the petitioner being insufficiently equipped to compete on an equal footing during application to undergraduate courses. TNN

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