Tamil Nadu: BJP Supports 'Equal Pay For Equal Work' Protest By Secondary School Teachers

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) state president K Annamalai said that the BJP would support the demands of the secondary school teachers who are on a hunger strike demanding equal pay for equal work. He directed party leaders like state vice president Narayanan Thirupathy to visit the protest site.

Thousands of secondary school teachers from across the state have gathered at the campus of the Directorate of Public Instruction (DPI) in Chennai.

The protest is against the pay difference of Rs 3170 for about 20000 teachers who were appointed after a cutoff date of 31 May 2009. The implementation of the 7th Pay Commission widened the difference in pay.

According to J Robert, the general secretary of the Secondary Grade Seniority Teacher's Association (SSTA), the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government had come to power with the promise of equalizing pay but had not taken any steps so far.

The SSTA also said that the Supreme Court has ruled multiple times that equal pay should be provided for equal work.

In 2018, when the SSTA had gone on strike regarding the same issue, Chief Minister MK Stalin who was in the opposition at the time had expressed his support to the teachers.