Chennai: Over 12 lakh Tamil Nadu government employees and teachers on July 2, began their indefinite strike demanding restoration of curtailed benefits, undettered by the government threat to dismiss those participating in the stir.

Reports received at the state headquarters in Chennai, said attendance in government offices on July 2 morning was "very thin" and the work has almost come to a standstill in district collectorates and taluk offices.

However, official sources said the attendance would improve during the day and expressed confidence that normalcy would prevail.

The Federation of Joint Action Council of Teachers Associations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTO-JEO) and Confederation of Teachers Associations and Government Employees Associations (COTA-JEO) have given the call for the strike.

The Federation represents over 85 per cent of the government staff. There were over 300 government employees associations, the major being, the Tamil Nadu Government Employees Union and the Tamil Nadu Government employees Association.

PTI