CHENNAI: PMK founder S Ramadoss has urged the Tamil Nadu government to immediately fulfil the long-pending demands of protesting secondary-grade teachers.

In a statement, the senior leader said that teachers have been protesting for over 16 years, seeking the implementation of the old pension scheme, pay parity under the principle of equal pay for equal work, restoration of incentive increments for higher education, and the filling of over 30,000 vacant posts in primary education.

Ramadoss criticised the government for resorting to arrests rather than dialogue and warned of the impact on education if teachers resort to an indefinite strike, as announced, from January 6. He called on Chief Minister MK Stalin and the School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamizhi to intervene urgently, hold talks with teachers' unions, and resolve the issues in the interest of educators and students' future.