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Noon meal workers to go on indefinite strike from today
Demanding the fulfilment of their demands, noon meal workers across the state will go on an indefinite strike from Today.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Stating that they were forced to take the decision, Noorjahan, General Secretary, Tamil Nadu Nutritious Noon Meal Employees Association said: “Starting today, we will not cook for school students till that date when the state government fulfills our demands.”
Addressing mediapersons, Noorjahan said the nutritious noon meal scheme was introduced by late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran in 1982.
The scheme was envisaged to provide free and nutritious meal for students to encourage them to continue their school education. It was later replicated throughout the country.
However, the noon meal workers are drawing a meagre salary for the past 35 years, Noorjahan said.
Among their major demands are regular time scale pay, pension for workers, clearing outstanding dues from January 1, 2016 and to increase the food expenses per student to Rs 5.
“The noon meal workers draw a meagre salary during their tenure and after the retirement do not have any pension scheme to support them. Many are suffering after retirement,” said Noorjahan.
She also said that they have conveyed their demands to the state government and had staged peaceful protests on several occasions, but there has been no official response. Hence, we have decided to stage dharna by abstaining from cooking, Noorjahan added.
“Only when there are complaints that children are not being supplied food, the government will react and will take steps to redress our grievances. We have no other choice other than to stop cooking,” she said.
Charter of demands
- Nutritious noon meal scheme was introduced by late Chief Minister MG Ramachandran in 1982
- Regular time scale pay
- Pension for workers
- Clearing outstanding dues from January 1, 2016
- Increasing food expenses per student to Rs 5
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