CHENNAI: Following talks with officials of the school education department, members of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers Association (SSTA) said the department had assured them that their demands will be addressed within the next two to three days. However, they said the protest will continue until their demand of ‘equal pay for equal work’ is fulfilled.
According to the association, more than 10,000 teachers did not attend schools after they reopened following the half-yearly holidays on Monday. Protests were also held at district headquarters across the state, in addition to Chennai, where the agitation entered its 11th consecutive day.
The teachers said secondary grade teachers appointed before June 1, 2009, were placed on a basic pay of Rs 8,370, while those appointed on or after the cut-off date were fixed at Rs 5,200, despite having the same qualifications and duties. Over the years, they said, this disparity has widened to Rs 25,000-Rs 30,000 in overall monthly salaries, placing Tamil Nadu among the states with the lowest pay for secondary grade teachers appointed after June 2009.