Elementary teachers to hold protest on Sep 10

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Elementary Teachers Organisations-Joint Action Committee (TETO-JAC) has announced a State-wide protest on September 10 in respective districts and a three-day protest on September 29, 30 and October 1 in Chennai.

In a meeting held with TETO-JAC members in Tiruchy on Saturday, the protest dates were discussed and disclosed by the elementary teachers. During the protest, teachers will place their 31 long-pending demands on the government.

Speaking to DT Next, E Rajendran, president, of TETO-JAC, said: “As the State government has still not acted on our demands, we had to announce the protests. The meeting with all the TETO-JAC members will be held on September 1, followed by a token strike on September 10 in respective districts. And, State-wide protests will be held in Chennai on September 29, 30 and October 1.”

Meanwhile, to get the State government to address their demands, more than 6,000 teachers held a three-day protest in July at the DPI campus in Chennai. In connection with this, teachers also met the education secretary who assured them of quick action.

A member of TETO-JAC stated, “During our protest in July, we were assured that nine of the 31 demands are likely to be fulfilled and a resolution will be given by the end of August. However, we’ve not heard from the officials so far. And, we were not given any confirmation of it in writing. Neither has there been any intimation from the department’s end.”

Some of the demands placed by the TETO-JAC members are: revoke the new pension scheme and implement the old pension scheme, salaries of Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) should be rectified, reinstate the surrendering of leaves, Ennum Ezhuthum scheme should be stopped, teachers should be completely freed from other tasks including uploading data in EMIS, which affect their teaching work, and all concessions given to government school students should also be given to government-aided school students.