Tamil Nadu government employees defer December 12 strike, plans to join JACTO-GEO led protest

Chennai: The federation of Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers' unions deferred their December 12 strike plan demanding the implementation of old pension scheme and announced that instead participate in the state-wide indefinite agitation to be launched by the JACTO-GEO.

The JACTO-GEO had announced to go on an indefinite strike from January 6, 2026, with a charter of 10 demands, including withdrawal of the contributory pension scheme (CPS) and restoring the old pension scheme (OPS). The association said it would hold a hunger strike in district headquarters on December 13 to press the demands.

The Tamil Nadu Elementary Teachers Organisations-Joint Action Committee (TETOJAC), a collective of 12 elementary school teachers’ associations in the state, had called for a protest on similar demands on December 12.

A decision to defer the strike was made at an emergency meeting of the collective’s high-level committee on December 10 evening through video conferencing.

"Eleven members of the high-level committee of all the unions that are part of the associations attended the meeting. Since JACTO-GEO will hold a hunger strike on December 13, it has been decided to postpone our agitation due to the practical difficulties caused by holding both the protests on consecutive days," a release here said on Thursday.

"Based on the majority opinion expressed at the meeting, the TETOJAC strike and protest that was to be held on December 12 has been temporarily postponed," the release added.

On December 10, Tamil Nadu Chief Secretary N Muruganandam warned of a pay cut if the employees resorted to the strike.

He directed the district collectors to convince the staff to work and give up their plans to strike.

Further, he directed the collectors to ensure compulsory attendance and report to the government on the turnout on December 12. In a circular, the Chief Secretary strictly warned that except medical leave, the employees would not be permitted to avail leave on the day of strike.