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Jayalalithaa gets tougher with
striking staff

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa on Tuesday ruled out any further fiscal benefits to the striking government employees and teachers.

"It is impossible to meet their demands because of financial constraints," she told the assembly on a day the Centre announced a three per cent additional dearness allowance instalment for its employees and pensioners.

Walking into the House even as agitating members of the opposition were being evicted by the watch and ward staff under Speaker K Kalimuthu's instructions, she said, "They must accept the four per cent DA increase already announced by the government and return to work. Failing this, the government knows how to deal with them."

"No useful purpose will be served by inviting the striking unions for talks, as the government is not in a position to pay them anything extra. Whatever was possible has been given," she said.

Jayalalithaa reiterated that the employees had a duty to share the financial "distress". "Nothing is left for developmental works, or for the 98 per cent of the population, as the pay-bill of the employees forming the remaining two per cent accounts for 94 per cent of tax revenue."

Earlier, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam and Communist Party of India-Marxist members staged a dharna in the well of the House, while other non-Bharatiya Janata Party opposition members walked out.

They asked the government to begin unconditional talks with the striking employees.

Across the state, meanwhile, the employees continued their strike for the seventh day on Tuesday.

Officials claimed 63 per cent attendance across the state, but the unions disputed it. Employees' Union official Eswaran said they would not yield to the 'high-handed methods' of the government.

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