Veteran Communist Party of India leader R. Nallakannu asked the government employees to be wary of the anti-workers policies like ‘no pension’ and contract labour system which would eventually deprive the next generation of various benefits.
He was here to felicitate the State president of Tamil Nadu Government Employees’ Union (TNGEU) K. Palpandian, who had retired from government service, on Sunday.
Mr.Nallakannu noted that despite the Left parties having fought against the State government and helped reinstate thousands of government employees who were dismissed in 2003, the employees did not vote for the Left parties.
“I do not regret for that. But, think of the future of government employees,” he said. He pointed out that the government employees had been denied pension in recent years. “The average life expectancy has gone up and what are people going to do after 58 years without pension. If someone’s health is affected, he will be in dire straits without pension,” he said.
Mr.Nallakannu said that more and more people were being recruited on contract basis in government departments.
“Government employees go without pension (after having put in three decades of service). But, MLAs, who are in power for five years, get pension all through their life. But, sadly, there is no more anger among the employees,” he said.
“If the educated do not bother about these issues which will have a great impact on the next generation, how will the poor masses bother,” the CPI leader asked, and wanted the members of the government employees union to get ready to put up a united fight against those trying to divide the people on the lines of religion and caste.
TNGEU leader K. Balasubramanian was among those who spoke.
