1,000 Teachers Detained in Chennai Protest Over Equal Pay Demand
Over 1,000 secondary grade teachers detained in Chennai during seventh day of protest demanding equal pay.
Chennai witnessed another day of unrest as over 1,000 secondary grade teachers were detained by police during a protest demanding equal pay for equal work. The demonstration, held near the Gandhi Irwin Bridge in Egmore, marked the seventh consecutive day of agitation even as the city welcomed the New Year. Teachers were reportedly taken to local marriage halls following police intervention.
Protesting teachers alleged police excesses during the detentions, including reports of physical injuries. “Today, a teacher’s hand was fractured when police tried to forcibly board him onto a bus,” said one participant. Teachers claimed they were lifted and pulled by their hair to clear the protest site, prompting many to refuse the food provided at the detention venues as an act of defiance.
J Robert, state general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachers’ Association, emphasized that the teachers’ demand is rooted in a longstanding issue of pay disparity. “Despite clearing several examinations, our basic pay is comparable to government posts requiring only Class 8 qualifications. Until this injustice is addressed, our protest will continue,” he stated, reiterating that no meaningful dialogue has taken place with the government.
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The teachers also vowed to continue their agitation even after schools reopen following the half-yearly holidays. They argued that the protest is not a disruption of education but a demand for fair compensation and fulfillment of promises made by the ruling DMK government during polls.
Support for the protest has come from multiple government employees’ organizations, including the CPS Abolition Movement. These groups have extended solidarity to the teachers, highlighting the wider concern over employment conditions and wage parity in Tamil Nadu’s public sector.
Authorities, including police officers and government officials, were not immediately available for comment. Meanwhile, the teachers remain committed to their campaign, asserting that they will continue raising their voices until the government addresses their long-standing grievances regarding pay equality.
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