People's Democracy

TAMIL NADU STRIKE  

TUs Solidarity Day With Employees, July 16

THROUGH a joint statement issued from New Delhi on July 12, seven central trade union organisations, viz the CITU, AITUC, AICCTU, HMS, UTUC, UTUC(LS) and TUCC, have strongly denounced the Tamil Nadu government’s action of summarily dismissing over 2 lakh state employees for their participation in the statewide strike by 10 lakh employees and teachers in protest against the curtailment of pension benefits.

The Jayalalitha government issued an ordinance to amend the Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act (TESMA) to assume summary powers to dismiss the employees. This action is totally against the ILO’s four point Declaration of Fundamental Principles of Rights at Work adopted in 1998.

The statement said this draconian action of the Tamil Nadu government is unprecedented in the history of the trade union movement and deserves nationwide condemnation by the working class of all affiliations.

The statement appealed to the trade unions of all affiliations in India to hold gate meetings all over the country on July 16 to condemn the Tamil Nadu government’s highhanded action, demand immediate reinstatement of all the victimised employees unconditionally and commence negotiations with the employees’ representatives to resolve the outstanding issues. Trade unions must also send protest telegrams to Tamil Nadu chief minister condemning the arbitrary action and demanding its immediate withdrawal. (INN)