The Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association members took one-day leave to highlight 20-point demand in various blocks in the district.
The government staff belonging to various departments including revenue, treasury, municipality, mid-day meals, rural development, and town panchayats staged demonstrations in Uthangarai, Hosur, Krishnagiri, and Denkanikottail.
Their demands included increased house rent allowance, education and travel allowances on par with those in the Central Government employment; shelving of the new pension scheme as promised in the Assembly elections by the ruling party; and settlement of dearness allowance after a change in the pay scale in 2006.
Significant among these included maternity benefits as provided to Central Government employees. The protesters demanded a six-month maternity leave and two-year child maintenance leave for temporary women workers, special wage noon-meal workers and ICDS workers – as being implemented by the Central Government for its women employees.
Other demands included disbursement of salaries through the treasury for employees in Corporations, Municipalities, Town Panchayats and temple staff under the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments Board; revoking colonial government rules that held no significance; and increasing the family benefit fund to Rs.10 lakh.
The protesters called for complete shelving of outsourcing of jobs and appointment of contract workers, under the guise of restructuring of jobs. The Association also called for filling of over four lakh vacancies in various departments in the State through the employment office and recruitment board.
Special Correspondent adds fromSalem: The members of the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association applied for a day’s casual leave on Thursday to press their demands. They also staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate. They also demanded reinstatement of the Salai Paniyalargal as per the court direction. C. Rajkumar, district president of TNGEA, led the demonstration. S. Chellasamy, district secretary, V. Danushkodi, State deputy secretary of TN Town Panchayat Employees Association, and Arthanari, district secretary of the Revenue Officials Association, spoke.
