CHENNAI: Ignoring the warning issued by the Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE) that they would face loss of pay, hundreds of secondary grade teachers (SGTs) continued their agitation, which has stepped into the 15th day on Thursday, demanding 'equal pay for equal work'.
On Wednesday night, Elementary Education Director Naresh ordered that SGTs who had not been reporting to work must face 'loss of pay', terming it as 'no work no pay'. The teachers who could not attend work due to medical reasons would be exempted, the official added.
But ignoring the warning, teachers across the State continued their protest in Chennai and in other districts.
The primary demand of the protesting teachers is 'equal pay for equal work'. According to them, there is pay disparity, with the teachers appointed after June 2009 getting Rs 3,170 less than those who got the job on or before May 31, 2009, though both of them do the same amount of work. The teachers also claimed that the gap further widened in December 2022 after the Seventh Pay Commission.
"We will continue the protest. Though we were called for a discussion with higher officials, we want the State government to fulfil the promise it kept during the 2021 election campaign. The government should pay the 20,000 SGTs their rightful salaries," said a teacher protesting at the DPI campus on Thursday.