Tamil Nadu CM J. Jayalalithaa has won round two of the standoff with striking government employees with the latter not challenging the high court verdict on their dismissal. They do not even contemplate moving the State Administrative Tribunal (SAT) against the dismissal orders.Instead, they would see how the ‘‘humanitarian and magnanimous’’ government reacts to their pleas for mercy, after which only they would chart out their next course of action, say Union leaders.The obvious question is that if these Unions could not muster enough courage for a prolonged battle with the state, why did they give a call for an indefinite strike. On her part, Jayalalithaa had warned that the employees would have to face the worst if they went on a strike. The Tamil Nadu Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) was also on the statutes. So if they were pressing ahead with their strike, they were doing so at their own risk.The government has undoubtedly been facing a severe financial crisis. In the circumstances, it was but inevitable that it embarked on severe cost-cutting. The reduction in pension benefits and the withdrawal of leave encashment facilities to a limited extent were among the relatively soft options. It could have gone in for more sweeping measures.It is understandable too that the employees were upset at the prospect of losses even on a limited scale. But they could have demanded that the government tighten its belt too if the financial situation is indeed precarious. That way there would have been a general appreciation of their willingness to make adjustments in the interests of the common good. Also, the demand for a leaner political establishment would have been strengthened. By raising the pitch unnecessarily and then caving in so abjectly, at the first crack of the whip, the employees have only laid themselves open to worse to follow.As a fellow-traveller remarked, ‘‘The dismissals are shocking.’’ Unionists, who cry hoarse on the rights of employees, rarely talk about their duties. That makes it easy for the other side to demonise any and every agitation, never mind how genuine the demands are.
