As Tamil Nadu prepares for upcoming assembly elections, the state government is confronting mounting pressure from its own workforce. Multiple sections of government employees have announced protests and strikes, putting the administration on the back foot.
Ministerial Panel Formed for Crucial Talks
In a key development, the government has constituted a three-member ministerial panel to negotiate with a major union group. The panel comprises ministers E V Velu, Thangam Thennarasu, and Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. This committee is scheduled to hold talks with representatives of the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTO-GEO) in Chennai on December 22.
JACTO-GEO, an umbrella body for state employees, has announced plans to commence an indefinite strike from the fourth week of December. Their agitation is centered on a 10-point charter of demands, with the most prominent being the restoration of the old pension scheme for government staff.
Parallel Protests Erupt Across Sectors
Simultaneously, unrest has surfaced in other departments. In a dramatic turn of events, around 500 contract nurses staged a night-long protest at the Kilambakkam bus terminus on Thursday. They were moved from their initial protest site at Sivananda Salai in Chennai. Police later detained the nurses at a marriage hall.
These nurses, recruited through the Medical Services Recruitment Board, are demanding permanent appointments, better pay, and standard service benefits. Responding to the agitation, Health Minister Ma Subramanian clarified that the nurses were appointed on contractual terms, which do not include regular pay scales. He stated that the government has appointed 1,200 nurses on a regular basis for newly opened medical colleges since assuming power and that regular recruitment will continue based on seniority as vacancies arise.
Transport and Retiree Grievances Add to Woes
The transport sector is also witnessing discontent. Protests were held on Thursday at four Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) depots in Chennai. Unions are opposing what they describe as the semi-privatisation of electric bus services.
Adding to the government's challenges, retired transport employees have been vocal in demanding the release of their long-pending retirement benefits. This multi-pronged agitation from serving and retired staff presents a complex scenario for the administration.
The state government appears to be adopting a dual strategy: opening dialogue with some unions while employing legal and administrative measures to contain other protests. With election season approaching, resolving these employee grievances has become a critical and urgent task for the ruling dispensation.
