By Express News Service
CHENNAI: The government elementary school teachers withdrew their four-day hunger strike after holding negotiations with School Education Minister K A Sengottaiyan on Thursday. Sengottaiyan promised the teachers that the one-man commission set up by the government would look into the demands of the teachers. “I thank the teachers for withdrawing the hunger strike. The commission will look into their demands,” Sengottaiyan told reporters after the negotiations. Teachers from all over the State have been pouring into Chennai since Monday to participate in the hunger strike, demanding revision of wages.
Elementary school teachers, who were appointed after June 2009, are only eligible for salaries much lower than their colleagues who were appointed only a few months before them. About 20,000 teachers, who were affected by the pay disparity, demanded that the Seventh Pay Commission’s recommendations be implemented for them.
Teachers broke their fast by drinking juice after their negotiations with Sengottaiyan.
“We trust that the government will not let us down and that the commission will meet our demands. We have withdrawn the strike now and will wait till they revise our pay,” said M Elango, an elementary school teacher from Chennai, after breaking his fast.
