rediff.com
rediff.com
News
      HOME | NEWS | PTI | REPORT
Saturday
March 9, 2002
1639 IST

NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
SOUTH ASIA
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES
SEARCH REDIFF








 Click for India's
 best painters


 Search the Internet
         Tips

E-Mail this report to a friend
Print this page Best Printed on HP Laserjets


Kerala govt offers concessions to end stir

The pro-Congress State Employees and Teachers Organisations (SETO) pulled out of the 32-day-old strike, accepting the concessions offered by the Kerala government at the talks held in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday.

Earlier, in a bid to end the 32-day old strike by government employees and teachers, Chief Minister A K Antony had on Saturday offered minor concessions like diluting the decision to reduce pension commutation by 50 per cent.

The unions said they would announce their stand later in the day after internal consultations.

Later, after internal consultations, SETO leaders told reporters that they were calling off the strike with immediate effect.

SETO convener K Sudevan and NGO Association president Mangad Rajendran said the government had considered the most important demand of the employees relating to pension commutation and that concerning the 'protected' teachers.

Meanwhile, the pro-LDF unions continued consultations on the government offer.

Antony, who held two-hour long talks with leaders of striking employees, told reporters in Thiruvananthapuram that he also offered to extend till June the proposal to halve the salary of teachers rendered surplus even after re-deployment.

He, however, said there was no change in the government stand to apply the no work-no pay principle for the days the employees were on strike and that the entire set of cost-cutting proposals, which led to the strike, could be reviewed once the financial position of the state improves.

The chief minister also said cases registered against employees during the strike would be withdrawn and legal steps for release of ESMA detainees initiated if the strike is called off.

Union leaders, who took part in the talks, including those from the pro-LDF Action Council and pro-Congress SETO, began consultations to decide on their response to the government offer.

More reports on Kerala

Back to top
(c) Copyright 2001 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.

Tell us what you think of this report

ADVERTISEMENT      
NEWS | MONEY | SPORTS | MOVIES | CHAT | CRICKET | SEARCH
ASTROLOGY | CONTESTS | E-CARDS | NEWSLINKS | ROMANCE | WOMEN
SHOPPING | BOOKS | MUSIC | PERSONAL HOMEPAGES | FREE EMAIL| MESSENGER | FEEDBACK