Thiruvananthapuram, March 9
The 32-day-old strike by over five lakh Kerala Government employees and teachers was called off today.
The decision to call off the strike was separately announced by the employees unions owing allegiance to the Congress and the CPM led LDF following talks with the Congress-led UDF Government which made face saving concessions to them.
Shortly after the two-hour long talks, the unions held separate parleys to consider the government offer before announcing their decision to call off the stir which paralysed the government machinery for over a month.
As per the settlement offer, the government side led by Chief Minister A.K. Antony agreed to reduce by half the cut made in pension commutation as part of cost-cutting drive and defer till June the proposal to halve the salary of “protected” teachers rendered surplus.
The government also promised to expedite legal steps for the release of 521 employees detained under ESMA and withdraw cases registered against them in connection with the strike.
PTI
