Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003
Tuesday, Jul 01, 2003 |
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Tamil Nadu
By Our Special Correspondent
Govt. employees at a ``gate meeting'' during lunch break in the Secretariat in Chennai on Monday.— Photo: N. Balaji
The ``prompt'' action against strikers would range from a cut in pay, refusal of leave and detention under the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act, which provides for a three-year-imprisonment or a Rs. 5,000-fine or both. After long confabulations with senior officials at the Secretariat this morning on the administrative measures to thwart the strike, the Chief Secretary wrote to all Secretaries to Government, department heads and Collectors, asking them to inform the staff that they would face disciplinary action if they resorted to the strike. ``I request you to impress on the staff members of your departments that they should not indulge in violation of the provisions of the Government Servants conduct rules, 1973, lest disciplinary action be taken against them,'' she said. Also, the communique warned that no pay and no casual or earned leave would be granted for those resorting to the strike. If any government servant failed to attend office either on July 2 and thereafter, and participated in the indefinite strike, the period of absence would be considered ``unauthorised'' and he/she would not be entitled to pay and allowances, on the basis of the ``no work, no pay'' principle. Part-time employees and those on daily wages and consolidated pay would face dismissal. Ms. Lakshmi Pranesh also asked the department heads to ensure that the staff members, who signed the attendance register at 10 a.m., did not leave their office during duty hours between 10 a.m. and 5.45 p.m except during the half-hour lunch time, anytime between 1.30 and 3 p.m. In case they left their ``seat of duty'' during office hours, disciplinary action would be initiated. Besides, ensuring that no employee violated the conduct rules, the officials should not entertain any application for any leave other than medical leave during the strike period, the Chief Secretary said. She also directed all heads of departments, government undertakings and other autonomous bodies to send a comprehensive report daily, on attendance position until the strike ended. The communique pointed out that the services of government employees and teachers had been declared ``essential services to the general public'' under the ESMA. And if they participated and incited a strike or ``knowingly expended or supplied any money'' for the strike, they would be punished, on conviction, with imprisonment up to three years or a fine up to Rs.5,000 or both, the letter emphasised.
Meeting with police officials
Earlier in the day, the Chief Secretary also held a detailed discussion with I. K. Govind, Director-General of Police, and other senior police officers, besides the Home Secretary, Syed Munir Hoda, for taking necessary steps to ensure law and order during the strike period.
Unions call for talks
Meanwhile, leaders of the Federation of the JACTTEO-GEO and COTA-GEO, which have given the strike call, made a last effort at reaching an amicable settlement with the Government, appealing to the Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, to invite them for another round of talks on their demands. However, if the Government failed to sort out the issue amicably, the unions would go ahead with the strike from July 2, they said in a statement here. Undeterred by the Government's all-out efforts to put down the strike, the unions held preparatory meetings in several government complexes all over the State. Indeed, even as the Chief Secretary's meeting with officials was being held on the second floor of the Secretariat in the forenoon, the union leaders addressed employees on the first floor. They urged the staff to join the strike in full strength and force the Government to restore retirement benefits which were withdrawn. A little later, during lunch hour, a large number of Secretariat staff members gathered outside the Namakkal Kavignar Malligai, to listen to a loud call by leaders of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Staff Association, the drivers union and the government officials union, to make the strike a huge success. The Tamil Nadu Post Graduate Teachers Association has also decided to join the strike.
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