A serious Teachers Protest has been going on in Tamil Nadu and has now entered its fifth day. Government teachers and TET-Qualified Candidates have been demanding equal pay and permanent, government jobs respectively. Know in detail, the demands of the teachers and also watch the video of their protest..
New Delhi: Hundreds of teachers continued their protest inside the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) campus for the fifth consecutive day on Monday and vowed to continue their protest further until their demands are met. Several teachers are sitting on a hunger strike with their kids inside the DPI campus. The indefinite hunge strike began on September 28, 2023 after the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association failed to convince the school education department for ‘equal pay for equal work’. A hunger strike was also staged by the association at the DPI Campus in January following which, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin had announced the formulation of a three-member committee with the Finance Secretary (Expenditure) as the head and the School Education Secretary and then Elementary Education Director (Present Director of School Education Dept) as members for the issue. Clearly, the teachers are dissatisfied, their demands have not been met and therefore they are on an indefinite strike. Read further to watch a video of the teachers’ protest and also know the demands of the protestors..
Teachers’ Protest In Tamil Nadu, WATCH Video
As mentioned earlier, the government teachers and TET 2013 qualified candidates have been protesting for better pay and permanent jobs; their protest, which began on September 28, has entered its fifth day now. It was expected that more than 15,000 teachers will be protesting along with their families. Protests began on September 28 because students of Classes 1 to 5 are on a holiday. The protesters also claimed that some women teachers fainted during the protest and due to hunger protests more than 70 protesters were taken to hospital due to the deterioration of their health. Naam Tamilar Katchi Party chief, Seeman came and extended his support to the protesting Teachers and assured his support to them.
Teachers Protest In Tamil Nadu: What Are Their Demands?
The teachers are demanding from the state government equal pay for equal work, temporary teachers demanding permanent jobs, and Teacher Eligibility Test (TET) 2013 qualified aspirants demanding government jobs. According to J Robert, the state general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association, “In January, we were told that it would be resolved within three months, but the issue still persists.”
Quoting the members of the association, “The basic pay for teachers who were appointed before June 1, 2009, was Rs 8,370, while it was Rs 5,200 for those appointed on or after the date. The pay gap has been widening with every pay commission. More than 20,000 teachers are affected due to this.” The association has claimed that even though a few teachers have fallen ill, the indefinite hunger strike will continue till the government listens to them; J Robert said, “Four teachers took ill on the first day but we will proceed till the government is forced to pay heed to our demands.”
(Inputs from ANI)