After four days of relentless protests, secondary grade teachers called off their strike on Thursday after a meeting with School Education Minister K.A. Sengottaiyan.
The teachers went on strike on Monday with a demand that the anomalies in their pay be rectified. They held three rounds of talks, including one with the School Education Secretary Pradeep Yadav. On Thursday, Mr. Sengottaiyan met the striking teachers and assured them that a one-man committee would be constituted to look into their grievance.
According to the teachers, around 21,000 teachers appointed after June 1, 2009 were earning ₹7,400 a month while those appointed before May 31 the same year were earning ₹11,300.
“We enter service with the same educational qualification yet there is a difference in the salary structure. Till date, each teacher has lost around ₹16,500 due to this anomaly. Normally, there will be a difference in the increment amount as teachers with higher educational qualification get incentives,” said S. Rex Anandakumar, State president of the Secondary Grade Teachers’ Association.
Despite repeated petitions and appeals there was no response and with the 7th Pay Commission recommendations about to be implemented, they were forced to go on an indefinite hunger strike. However, based on the Minister’s verbal assurance, the teachers withdrew the strike.
