About 78,000 State government staff absent from duty, as JACTTO-GEO stages protests across Tamil Nadu

Around 78,000 State government staff did not report for duty on Tuesday, responding to calls by various associations, including the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisation and Government Employees’ Organisation (JACTTO–GEO), which staged a one-day strike across Tamil Nadu pressing various demands.

Of the about 8.5 lakh employees, who are attached to the Integrated Financial and Human Resource Management System (IFHRMS), over 78,000 were reported as absent, official sources said. The 8.5 lakh employees do not include those who are working in Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs), universities, and other parastatal agencies.

In Chennai, JACTTO–GEO staged a protest at the Ezhilagam Complex, which houses several units of the Revenue and Disaster Management Department. Their protest highlighted their various demands, with the primary demand being the one calling for the restoration of the Old Pension Scheme for State government employees.

Business in many government offices were marginally affected, as some staff did not report for duty. Among departments, business involving staff from the Commercial Taxes Department was hit the most, officials said. Official business was not affected much in the State capital, including in the Secretariat.

Reports on absentees

When asked if the protest was only over the demands that were service-related or over the work relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls as was being claimed by some sections, officials said reports received were only over the unauthorised absences regardless of the type of demands. The percentage of absentees was about 8%-9%, they added.