CHENNAI: The equal pay protest of Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) entered its seventh day on Thursday. The Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers' Association (SSTA) members asserted that the protests will continue until the demands are met.
Over 1,700 SGTs, including 1,100 women, are participating in the statewide protest, and the SSTA claims that the government has neglected their demand.
We met School Education secretary B Chandra Mohan on Wednesday, who assured that our demand will be taken to the notice of the Chief Minister MK Stalin and School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi. Until our demands are met, the indefinite protest will continue
A SSTA member
The member went on to add that in 2023, the CM formed a three-member committee with the principal secretaries of Finance and School Education, along with the director of the Elementary Education Department, "While forming the committee, we were promised that the demand would be met within three months; however, years have passed by, with no sign of any improvement."
The primary demand of SGT is for 'equal pay for equal work', which arose after the pay disparity faced by teachers appointed after June 2009, of Rs 3,170 for the same amount of work as those appointed on or before May 31, 2009, was brought to notice.
The teachers also claim that in December 2022, these teachers were severely affected by the seventh pay commission, as the pay gap further widened.