Tamil Nadu to withdraw cases against government employees who struck work in 2019

Tamil Nadu to withdraw cases against government employees who struck work in 2019

CM Edappadi Palaniswami said that department wise disciplinary proceedings were initiated against nearly 7,900 teachers and 408 cases booked against over 17,600 employees for taking part in protests.

Published: 01st February 2021 11:37 PM 

By PTI

CHENNAI: Cases filed against Tamil Nadu government employees, including teachers, for their January 2019 strike over various demands would be withdrawn in the spirit of "forget and forgive," Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said on Monday.

He said in a statement here that department wise disciplinary proceedings were also being withdrawn.

Various unions of government employees and teachers had embarked on an indefinete strike in January 2019, pressing for demands, including release of 21-month salary arrears in line with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations, withdrawing the New Pension Scheme and addressing wage anomalies, he recalled.

He said that department wise disciplinary proceedings were initiated against nearly 7,900 teachers and 408 cases booked against over 17,600 employees for taking part in road blockade protests, among others. 'As many as 2,338 people were suspended, but reinstated later," he added.

However, he said that they had resumed work in about a week following his plea and had earlier requested him to drop all the action initiated against them, including the cases.

On Monday, members of a union met Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Minister D Jayakumar and reiterated their demand, which he took up with Palaniswami. "The request was considered by the government, which is dropping all the pending action and criminal cases in the spirit of forget and forgive," the chief minister added.