Chennai: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on October 30 issued a fiat to the striking state government employees and teachers to return to work latest by October 31, failing which government would go ahead with fresh recruitments to fill up their posts.

"This is the last opportunity that the government is giving to the striking staff. If they do not return to work by tomorrow, they will be removed from service and fresh recruitments will start," she said responding to the plea of Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, G Palanichamy, who raised the issue during Zero Hour on October 30.

The strike being spearheaded by the joint action council of Tamil Nadu teachers and government employees' organisations entered the eighth day on October 30.

Jayalalithaa said the government would not hesitate to use Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA) and other Laws against the striking employees. The rule of "dies non" would be applied and the agitating staff would get salary only for the period they worked in October.

"ESMA and other Laws will not be applied if they returned to work by tomorrow," she said.

For the third consecutive day, October 30, the strike by the state government employees and teachers, demanding payment of impounded dearness allowance (DA), bonus and encashment of leave, figured in the Assembly.

Meanwhile, hundreds of employees and teachers were taken into custody in different parts of the state, when they attempted to stage a picketing programme. In Chennai, nearly 1,000 employees were held.

PTI