TS assures striking staff but fails to keep its word

HYDERABAD: The state government continues to get striking staff in different departments to withdraw their strike on the assurance that it would redress their demands, but fails to keep its promise after they resume duties.

Earlier, village revenue assistants (VRAs), power employees, teachers called off their strikes and agitation programmes following assurance from the government that it would look into their demands but they are yet to be fulfilled.

The VRAs ended their 80-day strike in October 2022 on the government’s word that it would address their demands soon after the November 2022 Munugode Assembly bypoll. The government cited 'election code' as a reason for not taking action right away. The VRAs had struck work in order to demand a pay hike, promotions and better working conditions.

The Munugode bypolls were held more than six months ago, but the state government has yet to meet their demands. The VRAs launched protest programmes in March of this year, demanding that the government fulfil its promise, but there was no response.

Power employees working on contract basis went on an indefinite strike from April 24 demanding higher fitment (hike in basic pay) of 30 per cent against the 7 per cent offered by the state government. They called off their strike within three days. The government convinced the power employees to accept 7 per cent fitment and said it would examine the other demands later.

Teachers unions undertook massive agitation programmes across the state in December 2021 against GO 317 on allocation of jobs and to undertake transfer of teachers to their native districts based on the new zonal system.

Although the teachers did not go on strike, they disrupted academic activities in government schools for nearly two months. The teachers withdrew their agitation after the government said it would review transfers made under GO 317 but the promise is yet to be fulfilled.

On each of these occasions, the government took a tough stance against striking employees. It threatened employees with termination of services if they did not report for duty within the stipulated deadline. This also forced employees’ unions to call off strikes abruptly without achieving their demands.