Tamil Nadu teachers' strike: Government to make temporary appointments

A statement issued by the state education department stated that temporary appointments will be made to fill the vacancies as a result of the strike and appointees will receive a package of Rs 7,500.

Published: 24th January 2019 05:54 PM  |   Last Updated: 24th January 2019 05:54 PM   |  A+A A-

JACTTO-GEO protest

Members of JACTTO-GEO staging a protest at Ezhilagam campus in Kamarajar salai in Chennai on Tuesday (File Photo | Ashwin Prasath/EPS)

By Online Desk

As the Tamil Nadu teachers protest entered its third day, the state government is considering making temporary appointments of teachers across schools in the state as the teachers refused to return to their daily duties until their demands are met.

Government employees and teachers affiliated to Joint Action Council of Tamil Nadu Teachers Organisations and Government Employees Organisations (JACTTO-GEO) are on an indefinite strike since January 22, Tuesday, demanding the government to implement a charter of demands including pay hike.

A division bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday had directed the teachers to resume work by January 25 taking into consideration the interest of the students' community. However, a high-level coordination meeting of the JACTTO-GEO that met at Chennai on Thursday morning decided to resume the strike.

A statement issued by the state education department stated that temporary appointments will be made to fill the vacancies as a result of the strike and appointees will receive a package of Rs 7,500. It further said the Parents-Teachers Association can select recruits for their respective schools.

A statement issued by Chief Secretary Girija Vaidyanathan on Monday, said that the striking employees will receive no salary.

The association has a seven-point demand list in which it has urged the government to repeal the new pension scheme and revert to the old one, settle 21-month pay arrears according to the new pay commission’s guidelines, settle pay anomalies for secondary teachers and regularise the jobs of part-time staff and teachers working at Anganwadis.

In addition to these, the association has included new demands put forth by Secondary Grade teachers, who teach at government elementary schools. “This strike will see 100 per cent participation from elementary teachers as we are the most affected,” said R Das, the State coordinator of Tamil Nadu Elementary School Teachers Association. They have raised objection to the government’s decision to use ‘surplus’ elementary school teachers at the new LKG, UKG classes that were inaugurated on January 21.