25 lakh state employees protest

Chennai:

Banking services and other establishments were hit but schools and colleges functioned as staff from central, state and public sector units along with unorganized workers went on a nationwide stir on Tuesday. 

Union sources claim more than 25 lakh employees along with unorganized workers are on a token strike in the state to protest against price rise and seeking amendment to Minimum Wages Act.

The stir has been backed in the state by office-bearers of BSNL employees union, All India Insurance Employees Federation, Confederation of Central Government Employees and Workers Tamil Nadu unit, Bank Employees Federation of India, Tamil Nadu Government Employees Association and All India Defence Employees Federation.

 Interestingly, this is the 14^th such strike since the introduction of New Economic Policy (NEP) and this time even the Congress backed union Indian National Trade Union Congress is backing the protest.

 The major demand of the unions is to contain price rise besides creation of National Social Security Fund with adequate resources in line with the recommendation of he National Commission for Enterprises in the Unorganized Sector (NCEUS) and parliamentary standing committee on labour, stoppage of disinvestments in Central and state public sector units and universal social security cover for the unorganized workers without any restriction.

The unions also demand strict enforcement of all basic labour laws without any exception or exemption and stringent punitive measures for violation of labour laws.