TN teachers on hunger strike against pay anomalies
More than 20,000 teachers across Tamil Nadu are protesting in Chennai against pay anomalies. The teachers participated in a hunger strike at a stadium in Egmore to force the government to address their demand for correction of the arbitrary salary. Under the 6th Pay Commission, teachers who joined before 2009 draw a basic monthly salary of Rs 8,370 while those who joined later get Rs 5,200.
The teachers began their hunger strike on 24th December evening after their meeting with School Education Minister proved to be fruitless. The same day over a thousand teachers staged a road roko on College Road, where the Directorate of Public Instruction is located. They were later detained by police and kept at the stadium. The others joined them the following day.
The State government said a decision will be taken only after the expert committee submits a report. The committee’s deadline to submit the report is 7th January. However, the teachers are skeptical of the outcome and decided to go on an indefinite hunger strike to press their demands.
Late evening on 25th December, the protesters were sent out of the stadium by police. They marched back to DPI where they continued the sit-in hunger strike.
This is not the first time these teachers are striking in support of their demand to end pay anomalies. They had struck work in April 2018. The same promises were made at that time too.
Protest of Delhi guest teachers
Guest teachers working in Delhi’s government schools began an indefinite protest yet again on 7th Jan 2019, outside the Chief Minister’s residence.
They had been raising their demands, since quite some time, of regularization of guest teachers, equal pay for equal work and re-appointment of those guest teachers who had been removed from their jobs. The government schools are dependent on these guest teachers for their functioning.
The following day, Manish Sisodia – the Minster for Education promised the teachers that the government would fulfil their demands. The teachers withdrew their protest upon this promise. However, Rahul Malik who was participating in the protest, said that they would start their protest again if their demands are not fulfilled before 28th January.