Ministers from the Tamil Nadu government engaged in constructive discussions with representatives of government employees’ and teachers’ unions on today, as staff and educators pressed for resolution of long-standing service-related demands.The talks took place at the state secretariat in Chennai, where senior ministers including Public Works Minister E.V. Velu, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi met with union leaders representing a range of associations.
Government employees and teacher representatives presented a 10-point charter of key demands, urging the state administration to address critical issues affecting their service conditions and livelihoods. These include calls for the revival of the Old Pension Scheme (OPS)—a demand that continues to fuel protests across the state—alongside the filling of vacant posts, seniority and promotion anomalies, equitable pay scales for teachers, and other welfare matters.
Union leaders stressed that several promises made earlier by political leaders have not been fully realized, and they urged the government to take decisive actions ahead of the upcoming political cycle. The continued agitation by groups such as the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisation (JACTO-GEO) reflects widespread dissatisfaction among staff and teachers.
One of the central demands remains the abolition of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and restoration of the OPS for newly recruited state employees—an issue that has seen sustained protests and negotiations. A high-level committee headed by senior officials was earlier formed to study pension options and suggest a path forward, and its interim report was submitted to Chief Minister M.K. Stalin. The Group of Ministers (GoM) engaging unions this week will review these inputs and discuss next steps.
The meeting also touched on concerns related to pay parity among teachers. Associations representing secondary grade teachers have reiterated their demand for equal pay for equal work, especially for staff affected by pay anomalies arising from the implementation of pay commission changes. A statewide protest by the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association is scheduled for December 26, underscoring the urgency of the issue.