Teachers protest against govt, demand regular jobs

Tribune News Service

Patiala, August 31

Under the banner of Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, teachers recruited under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA); and Government Adarsh and Model School, staged a protest at Nehru Park near the bus stand here on Friday.

The teachers were protesting against the state government’s decision to regularise services with a condition of a three-year probation period on just the basic pay for all contractual employees.

The cash-strapped state government had proposed to reduce the salary of teachers, recruited on contractual basis, to one-fourth of their present salary, if they want to be permanent employees.

Protesting teachers alleged that the government’s proposal to either work on basic pay or continue working on a contractual basis on the present salary is, evidently, a government’s U-turn on their promise of inducting them on the present salary.

The protesters raised slogans against the state government. During the protest, teachers thrashed the Chief Ministers effigy with slippers and shoes.

Gagan Ranu, a member of the Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, said, : Teachers, who have been working for the past eight to nine years and drawing salaries ranging from Rs 30,000-45,000 per month, would now be paid a basic pay of Rs 10, 815 for the next three years. With this much salary how will we run our family?” he said.