A total of 320 teachers affiliated to the Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisation (JACTTO) courted arrest here while attempting to stage a road roko near the collectorate here on Monday in support of their demands to be fulfilled by the State government.
They had been pressing for a 15-point charter of demands, including provision of enhanced salary for teachers on a par with teachers of central government institutions. The existing contributory pension scheme should be scrapped and old pension scheme implemented as promised by the State government in 2011, they said.
Kanyakumari
A total of 170 teachers, including 20 women, were arrested for road roko. Chief Educational Officer V. Jayakumar told The Hindu that all government and aided high and higher secondary schools functioned. Out of 3,659 teachers, 105 teachers absented themselves from duty in an unauthorised manner for participating in the strike, he said.
The agitation was presided over by P. Theagarajan, State coordinator.
Tirunelveli
A total of 512 teachers, including 150 women, courted arrest even as they attempted to stage road roko in front of Tirunelveli Railway Junction.
Led by office-bearers T.A. Charles Neil and S. Paulraj, the protestors tried to block traffic and courted arrest. After JACTO office-bearers P. Manoharan and S. Balachandar addressed the protestors, the police arrested them and the detained teachers were taken to a private marriage hall at Udaiyarpatti. All of them were released in the evening.
