School Education dept orders to not withhold salaries of teachers involved in protest

CHENNAI: The school education department has ordered not to withhold the salaries of secondary grade teachers (SGTs) who protested demanding 'equal pay for equal work' for 19 days from February 19 till March 8.

The department has said disciplinary action will be initiated if any official has ordered to withhold the salaries of teachers in the respective districts.

Strongly urging the DMK government to address their demands, the members of Secondary Grade Seniority Teacher's Association (SSTA) held an indefinite protest at DPI campus in the city last month.

Despite the teachers having engaged in indefinite protest during working days, the higher officials of the education department after talks with protesting teachers, directed that salaries will not be withheld.

However, in a few districts the direction to withhold the salaries was issued. Subsequently, the higher officials intervened and clarified that salaries will not be withheld, but the days teachers involved in the protest will be counted as 'earned leaves'.

Meanwhile, the teachers who have been protesting for close to a decade allege that nearly 20,000 teachers have been deprived of their salary difference of Rs 3,170 from other teachers. And, several thousand teachers have already retired without receiving their rightful salary.

The pay disparity arises when teachers appointed after June 2009 of Rs 3,170 for the same amount of work than those appointed on or before May 31, 2009.