Secondary grade teachers held a protest demanding equal pay for equal work in Chennai on Sunday.
| Photo Credit: R. RAGU
Secondary grade teachers continued to protest for the 10th consecutive day in Chennai on Sunday demanding ‘equal pay for equal work’ with over 1,000 teachers being arrested by the city police. The protesters formed a human chain to highlight their demand. Cases have been registered against 900 teachers so far.
Organised by the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association (SSTA), the protest took place near Tamil Nadu Government Multi Super Speciality Hospital on Anna Salai.
As schools reopen on Monday, the teachers are resolute in continuing the protest. “We have been pushed to the last stage. We have repeatedly highlighted and petitioned the government to give us our due. It’s been 16 years and there has not been any concrete response from the government,” said a teacher from Pudukkottai.
The teachers were protesting to highlight a long-standing pay disparity due to their date of appointment. Secondary-grade teachers appointed before June 1, 2009, have a basic pay of ₹8,370, whereas those appointed after June 2009 get a basic pay of ₹5,200.
The protesters demanded that the government rectify the pay ‘anomaly’. Secondary grade teachers now draw a monthly salary of ₹20,600. On Saturday, School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi had stated that discussions were ongoing with the Finance Department to reach a favourable conclusion.
Noting that when Chief Minister M.K. Stalin was the Leader of the Opposition in 2018, he visited and supported them in their demands; they said the DMK must fulfil its poll promise. “We have highlighted the demand in their poll manifesto. The protests will continue until our demands are met,” said Velmurugan, SSTA vice-president.
Published – January 05, 2026 05:30 am IST