Secondary Grade Teachers continued their sit-in protest at Egmore for the 11th consecutive day, pressing for “equal pay for equal work” and implementation of Election Manifesto Point No. 311. The agitation is led by teachers appointed after June 1, 2009, who are demanding salary parity with seniors holding the same qualifications and performing identical duties. Protesters alleged that Tamil Nadu offers the lowest basic pay for secondary grade teachers compared to several other states. With no concrete resolution so far, the teachers said they would intensify their agitation until the long-pending issue of pay disparity is addressed by the government.
Earlier, the protest had entered its ninth day in Chennai when School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi assured that the government would fulfil the teachers’ demands. Speaking to reporters, the minister stated that the government would not abandon teachers, emphasising that their demands were aligned with promises made in the election manifesto. He described the protesters as part of the government’s own family and said demonstrations were a way for them to express their concerns. During the agitation, more than 1,000 teachers protesting near the Perasiriyar Anbalagan Education Complex were detained by the police.
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The teachers, however, maintain that they are not seeking a pay hike but a correction of an anomaly that has existed for nearly 16 years. According to them, secondary grade teachers appointed before June 1, 2009, were placed on a higher basic pay, while those appointed after the cut-off date were fixed at a significantly lower scale. Despite having the same educational qualifications and workload, this difference has grown over time, resulting in a monthly salary gap of around Rs 25,000 to Rs 30,000, which they say is unjust and demoralising.