Demands not reasonable, drop strike: Jayakumar

In a statement here, he said the Government employees and teachers were protesting with demands that could not be fulfilled by the government.

“We have explained to them several times that the government cannot  revert to the old pension scheme as it maight then go bankrupt,” he said, citing the recommendations of the expert committee, which had ruled it out.

Giving a detailed account of the earnings and borrowings and the money spent on various heads, inclduing salary and pension for government  employees and teachers, Jayakumar urged them to call of the strike. Members owing allegiance to Joint Action Committee of Tamil Nadu Teachers  Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) have been on indefinite strike from January 22, defying the government warning that ‘no  work no pay’ rule would be enforced. They were demanding, among other things, reverting to the old pension  scheme and rectification of anomalies in the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. However, representatives of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association and the Tamil Nadu Government Officers’ Union did not participate in the stir. As the JACTTO-GEO stuck to their strike plan, the State government warned of strong action against unauthorised absence.