CHENNAI: Hundreds of secondary-grade teachers continued their protest for the fifth consecutive day on Tuesday, demanding equal pay for equal work. The protest was held near Dr Ambedkar Government Higher Secondary School in Egmore.
According to the teachers, those appointed before June 1, 2009, were placed on a basic pay of Rs 8,370, while teachers appointed on or after the cut-off date were fixed at Rs 5,200, despite possessing the same qualifications and performing identical duties.
Over the years, this disparity has widened to Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 in overall monthly salaries, placing Tamil Nadu among the states with one of the lowest pay for secondary grade teachers, they said.
Many teachers attended the protest along with their children. "Police apprehend us at railway stations when groups of teachers arrive by train. To avoid this, many of us brought our families to the protest. Because we decided to become teachers, our children are also suffering with us," said a protesting teacher.
Several teachers fainted during the protest and were hospitalised. Police later detained the protesters in marriage halls across the city. "We were not provided food or water to prevent us from returning to the protests in the coming days. Women teachers have been the worst affected by this pay disparity, and since many of them participated in large numbers, several suffered without food or water," said a woman teacher.
Meanwhile, Makkal Kalvi Kootiyakkam in Madurai urged Chief Minister M K Stalin to resolve the teacher's demands. In a statement, the association condemned the government for using police force against the protesters and accused it of reneging on promises made in the DMK's 2021 election manifesto.