Tamil Nadu: Secondary Grade Teachers Hold Hunger Strike, Urge DMK to Fulfil Its Poll Promise
Secondary grade teachers on hunger strike. Image courtesy: SSTA.
Urging Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to fulfil his election promise of equal pay for equal work, around 3,500 Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) commenced an indefinite hunger strike outside the Directorate of School Education on December 27.
Nearly 20,000 SGT were expecting the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government to rectify the anomalies in pay upon coming to power in 2020.
“It is 20 months since the DMK came to power and despite our efforts, our one demand has not been fulfilled. Therefore, we are once again holding a rigorous indefinite hunger strike,” read the statement by J Robert, general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association (SSTA).
The SSTA held an indefinite strike in a similar fashion in 2018, and the then-opposition leader and the present chief minister had extended support to their protest. Stalin had then demanded the then-ruling All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) to immediately resolve the issue.
SGTs were affected when the seventh pay commission was implemented. Those appointed after May 31, 2009, are paid Rs 3,170 lesser than those appointed on or prior to the mentioned date. However, there is no difference in their educational qualifications and work requirements.
“The Supreme Court has given a verdict in various cases that people holding the same position and doing the same job should be given equal pay for equal work. But, this was neither followed by the previous AIADMK government nor at present by the DMK government,” read the SSTA press release.
ANGANWADI WORKERS PROTEST
Around 100 Anganwadi workers held a protest on December 27 in the Thiruvallur district.
They demanded that the government fill vacancies at the earliest, increase the retirement age from 60 to 62, pay the stipulated amount on time and allow Anganwadi workers to implement the morning breakfast programme for children.
Anganwadi workers have held several protests in the past few years in Tamil Nadu, but their demands are unmet. The DMK poll promise included appointment and periodic pay for Anganwadi workers.
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