Vocational teachers demand pay parity, promotions

They seek salaries on a par with postgraduate teachers

The Vocational Teachers Federation has drawn attention of the School Education Department to their long-pending demands.

In the memorandum, the federation urged the department to grant salaries on par with postgraduate teachers. S.N. Janardhanan, State convener of the federation, said the State government had appointed a high-level committee to streamline vocationalisation in higher education 1993.

The committee had given various recommendations, one of them being grant of salary for vocational teachers on a par with PG teachers, he said.

In March 2007, vocational teachers held talks with the Education Minister and he too had assured them equal pay. “Now, we are demanding that this should be implemented in the Seventh Pay Commission. The Supreme Court direction for equal pay for equal work should be followed,” he added.

The federation also demanded that the selection grade pay be fixed for vocational teachers. Appointed in 1978, vocational teachers have not been given any promotions. The State government turned down a petition. As per an order, selection grade pay should be fixed for non-promotional category, he said.