Four TN ministers to hold talks with state govt employees associations over their demands

Chennai, Feb 23 (IANS) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has deputed four cabinet ministers to hold discussions with representatives of various state government employees' associations regarding their demands.  

A statement from the Chief Minister’s Office said that Ministers E.V. Velu, Thangam Thennarasu, Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, and N. Kayalvizhi Selvaraj would participate in the discussions at the Secretariat on Monday to work toward an "appropriate decision".

The primary demands include restoring the Old Pension Scheme and reinstating various incentives that were previously withdrawn by the state government.

The announcement comes ahead of protests organised by the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers’ Organisation and Government Employees Organisation (JACTTO-GEO), scheduled for February 25 in all district headquarters.

However, it remains uncertain whether the government will make any announcements following the meeting, as it is not customary to do so once the date for the Assembly session has been announced. The Budget for the financial year 2025-26 is set to be presented on March 14.

Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association President G. Venkatesan welcomed the government’s decision, stating: "It is good that the government has initiated talks. However, our future course of action will depend on the follow-up measures taken by the government after these discussions."

However, Frederic Engels, the state coordinator of the Contributory Pension Scheme Abolition Movement, expressed scepticism.

"Instead of fulfilling the promises made in its election manifesto, the DMK government continues to form committees. This is just another delaying tactic aimed at diffusing the upcoming protests."

Engels noted that a similar meeting held a few months ago with three ministers had only led to the temporary postponement of protests, with no substantial progress since then.

The state government had earlier announced the formation of a committee to study the Old Pension Scheme, the Contributory Pension Scheme, and the Unified Pension Scheme (notified by the Union government) to recommend the most suitable system for implementation in Tamil Nadu.