Chennai: The strike by the members of s members of the Joint Action Committee of Tamilnadu Teachers Organisation – Government Employees Organisation (JACTO-GEO) has entered fift day.

Even as 422 members of the JACTO-GEO ha ve been suspended, the association has said that they will continue their stir. Reports say the State government is planning to implement ESMA Act if they continue their strike.

The association’s demands include reversal of the contributory pension scheme, payment of arrears according to the Pay Commission’s recommendations, increasing the salaries of secondary school teachers to be on par with the pay of their Central Government counterparts, etc.

Meanwhile the government has started to appoint teachers on a temporary basis to schools across the State. According to reports, Pradeep Yadav, the School Education Secretary of Tamilnadu, has directed district-level officials to appoint retired teachers or qualified temporary staff persons as teachers.

Meeting the demands of JACTTO-GEO will lead to government taking away funds allocated for implementing welfare schemes for the general public, said D Jayakumar Minister for Fisheries and Personnel and Administrative Reforms on Saturday.

In a 11-page rebuttal statement to the protesters, he said the government spends over 70 per cent of all funds on salaries, pensions, administration and interests, while only 29 per cent is spent on welfare schemes. Elaborating on the State’s financial position, he said the demands are unreasonable and cannot be met by the government.

The statement was issued shortly after Jayakumar met Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, School Education Minister KA Sengottaiyan and Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan.

Meanwhile, the DMK urged the State to convene talks with the protesting JACTTO-GEO members and take steps to put an end to the strike.