A section of government employees, teachers strike work on Wednesday
The Hindu
Government employees and teachers in Kerala strike over denied benefits, sparking controversy and differing opinions on its success.
A section of government employees and teachers struck work on Wednesday responding to a strike call by the CPI-led Joint Council and Congress-backed organisations in protest against the alleged denial of benefits by the State government.
The State government had issued orders invoking dies non (no work, no pay principle) for unauthorised absence from work on the day.
The organisations called the strike demanding steps for pay revision, reinstatement of the old pension scheme by scrapping the contributory pension scheme and release of benefits including dearness allowance arrears.
The Joint Council-led action committee termed the strike a huge success. The strike affected the functioning of government offices and schools across Kerala and drew enthusiastic participation from the employees, it said.
Protest marches and sit-ins were organised under the aegis of the action council across Kerala and in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. More than 65% of employees participated in the strike, giving a fitting reply to sections that tried to sabotage it, according to Jayaschandran Kallingal and O.K. Jayakrishnan, general convener and chairman respectively of the action committee.
The statement by Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal regarding employee benefits in the State Assembly on Wednesday does not square with reality, they alleged. The State government is withholding benefits to the tune of ₹ 60,000 crore, according to them.
The Congress-backed Secretariat Action Council said that 44% of the employees at the government Secretariat struck work on Wednesday in support of the one-day strike. Citing the attendance register, it said that 2,237 employees struck work. Under the aegis of the council, the employees prepared ‘Pattini Kanji’ in front of the Secretariat Annexe to mark their protest against the government. Secretariat Action Council convener M.S. Ershad inaugurate the protest.
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