VCK MP Ravikumar urges Union govt to ensure minimum wage for private school teachers

CHENNAI: Villupuram MP and VCK general secretary D Ravikumar on Tuesday sought the intervention of the Union Government to guarantee a minimum wage for private school teachers.

"The Minimum Wages Act 194 is crucial legislation that sets the minimum wage for skilled and unskilled workers in the country. However, many of the private school teachers face significant challenges, including low salaries, lack of maternity leaves, absence of allowances, gender bias and irregularities in provident fund payments," said Ravikumar in the letter to Union Minister for Employment Mansukh Mandaviya.

Stressing the importance of the teachers community in ensuring a quality education system in the country, the MP said that guaranteeing minimum wage for teachers and headmasters of private schools would increase their productivity and encourage them to improve teaching methods. It would also eliminate wage disparities.

Pointing out the Supreme Court ruling in July 2023, the MP said that the Apex Court stated that teachers of unaided private schools were entitled to the same pay and emoluments as their counterparts in government schools.

"It is in everyone's best interest to ensure that teachers are not paid less than the minimum wages stipulated by the school management in private, unaided and aided schools to ensure quality education, " he further said.