CHENNAI: Even as people remained in a celebratory mood as the state rang in the New Year, secondary grade teachers demanding equal pay for equal work continued their protest for the seventh consecutive day on Thursday. The protest was held near the Gandhi Irwin Bridge in Egmore. More than 1,000 teachers, who participated in the protest, were detained by the police and taken to marriage halls.
Alleging police excesses, a protesting teacher said, “We are being subjected to police brutality every day. Today, a teacher’s hand was fractured when the police tried to forcibly get him into a bus.” Teachers were also grabbed by their hair and lifted from the protest site to evict them from the spot. He added that many teachers refused to eat the food provided at the marriage halls as a mark of protest against the police action. “We are only asking the DMK government to fulfil the poll promise. Instead, they are taking action against us,” he said. The teachers said they would continue their agitation even after schools reopen following the half-yearly holidays. “So far, there have been no meaningful talks with the government. Despite clearing several examinations, our basic pay is on a par with government posts that require only a Class 8 qualification. Until this injustice is addressed, we will continue our protest,” said J Robert, state general secretary of Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association.
Several government employees’ organisations, including the CPS Abolition Movement, extended support to the protesting teachers. TNIE could not reach police officers and government officials for a comment.