It is not often that this newspaper has found itself in support of Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa. However, on her handling of the recent strike of government employees that had all but crippled administration in the state, she has our unqualified and total approval. Taking on the might of an extremely well-organised force, 1.76 lakh strong, which had chosen to strike on five occasions in the last two years, costing the state 312 mandays, must have been a tough decision — although it must have helped Jayalalithaa in her resolve to know that an outfit owing allegiance to the DMK was among the striking unions. The plain fact is no government worth its salt can afford to put itself at the mercy of anyone, particularly those appointed to ensure its smooth functioning. These are reforming times, when states — especially the four southern states — are competing to attract foreign investment and put themselves on the reform track. This makes it even more incumbent on these governments to appear committed to good administration and firm action to ensure that it stays that way. It is here that Jayalalithaa proved to be a true helmsman by refusing to be cowed down by a tactic that the Supreme Court thought fit to characterise as the "misused weapon" of resorting to strikes. Such firmness should pay good dividends. It will discourage any adventurism on the part of unions, just as it will exercise a restraining influence on those in the workforce who have come to believe that there’s nothing like a good strike to deliver the goodies. The fact is, as the Tamil Nadu government explained in its arguments to the Supreme Court, state government employees were by no means getting a raw deal. Not only do they get several paid holidays, the state incurs an annual expense of Rs 13,160 crore on salaries and pensionary benefits alone. Perhaps the Centre, that had emerged so ingloriously in its handling of the transport strike some time ago, can learn a cardinal lesson from Amma: Standing firm could make for tough times in the short term, but it helps to draw the line in the long term.
