CHENNAI: Indefinite protest by hundreds of Secondary Grade Teachers entered the third day in the city demanding ‘equal pay for equal work’. This is the third phase of protest by the members of Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association (SSTA), which commenced in early December.

During the second day of protest on Saturday, hundreds of teachers protesting at the DPI campus were detained by the police.

Meanwhile, both higher officials of the department and Minister of School Education Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi had not responded to the demands placed by the teachers. It’s noteworthy that SSTA members had been protesting for for several years, both during the AIADMK and DMK in power.

Despite the calls to rectify the concern, teachers alleged that both parties during their term in office had not resolved pay heed to the issue, leading to frustration among the teaching community. “Arpund 20,000 secondary grade teachers (including 16,500 women) in government primary and middle schools, have been continuously fighting for equal pay for equal work for 20 years. During this time, many have also retired, but we have not received any relief,” lamented a SSTA member.

Teachers were protesting to highlight a long-standing pay disparity, wherein those appointed after June 2009 were paid Rs 3,170 for the same amount of work as those appointed on or before May 2009. Those appointed before June 2009 have a basic pay of Rs 8,370, whereas teachers appointed after June 2009 get a basic pay of Rs 5,200. Protesters demanded that the government rectify this anomaly.