Members of various trade unions, including Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU), All India Defence Employees Federation, and Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers (CCGEW), staged a demonstration in front of the collectorate here on Monday in support of their 36-point charter of demands.
Their demands, among other things, included implementation of the recommendations of the Seventh Pay Commission with effect from January 2014, withdrawal of the proposal for allowing foreign direct investment in Railway and Defence sectors, repealing the ban on recruitment and creation of new posts, and repealing the contract and outsourcing system of employment in public sector undertakings.
S.Veerasekaran, assistant general secretary of SRMU (GOC) and convenor of the Joint Action Committee, wanted scrapping of new pension scheme and lifting of ceiling on bonus. P.Pazhanivel, divisional secretary, SRMU, S.P.Senthil, treasurer, All India Railwaymen Federation (GOC), and G.Balachandran, general secretary, OFT Employees Union, said that this was the first phase of the three-pronged struggle announced by the National Joint Action Committee. In the second phase, agitations would be held at all the State headquarters between March 23 and April 11. The third and final phase of the agitation would culminate with a rally in New Delhi on April 28.
