CHENNAI: Over 1,000 secondary-grade teachers staged a token hunger strike at Rajarathinam Stadium on Saturday, demanding equal pay for equal work.
The protest was organised by the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association and highlighted the long-pending pay anomaly affecting more than 20,000 teachers across the state.
Teachers appointed before June 1, 2009, receive a basic pay of Rs 8,370, while those appointed on or after the date get Rs 5,200. This gap, which has widened with every pay commission revision, has now crossed Rs 20,000, association said. Chief Minister MK Stalin had assured teachers that the issue would be resolved once the DMK assumed office. However, no action has been taken yet, the teachers said.
The school education department formed a committee to look into the matter. But no progress has been made so far, the teachers rued. They also added that protests will be intensified if their demands are not fulfilled.