July 6, 2003	Sunday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 5,1424

CHENNAI, July 5: The government of Tamil Nadu state on Saturday sacked nearly 100,000 employees who were on the fourth day of a strike for higher wages.

Lists of the names of the sacked employees were pasted on the doors of their offices, said a senior police official who did not want to be identified.

The striking unions had petitioned the Madras High Court to challenge the mass dismissal.

The police official said the workers were sacked after the government decided to get tough and promulgated the Essential Services Maintenance Act, which gives it powers to dismiss employees participating in strikes.

About 2,200 employees were arrested in terms of the act, the source said. The High Court had asked the government to release all those who had been arrested.

Unions announced on Saturday they would end the strike if the government cancelled the sackings and resumed dialogue to resolve the dispute. —AFP