The State-wide strike called by the Left Democratic Front (LDF)- backed Action Council of State Employees and Teachers partially affected the functioning of government offices and educational institutions in the district on Thursday.
However, the organisers claimed that the strike to press various demands including interim wages and salary revision was a total success on the first day of their protest.
Majority of the village offices in the district and the departments at the District Collectorate remained closed. The attendance at the four Taluk offices, was reported to be thin.
Likewise, the strike also hit some of the government schools, they said.
Interim relief
The protesters were demanding a 20 per cent interim relief in basic pay with introspective effect from July 1, 2014. Besides, they also sought a revision in wages for government employees and teachers and withdrawal of the State government’s decision to do away with 30,500 posts.
Another demand was to restructure the ratio of teachers and students in schools and drop the participatory pension scheme for the employees. The strikers also took out a protest march at the taluk centres.
A march was taken out from the PWD complex to the Kidson Corner in the city. NGO Union State vice president E. Premkumar inaugurated the protest.
KSTA State executive member P.K. Satheesh, Joint Council district secretary T.M. Sajeendran, KMCSU State treasurer V. Suresh Kumar, KGNA State president P. Ushadevi, KGOA district secretary V.P. Sudhakaran, KAHSTA State vice president Fasalul Haq, KGOF district secretary K.K. Baby, AKSTU district joint secretary C, Sadanandan, KNTEO district secretary Shaju Koodathil and PSEU State secretary M. Mohanan addressed the protesters. The Kerala Government Medical Officers’ Association, which declared its support to the strike, also warned that it would be compelled to join the strike if the government delayed the pay revision.
No work, no pay
The government had already announced dies non (no work, no pay) to tackle the strike and asked all heads of departments to inform the attendance level in offices and not grant leave for any but for emergency cases.
THe government had also said that protection would be provided to employees and teachers who would report for duty.
