Chennai, Dec 22 : Stepping up pressure on the Stalin government, the Secondary Grade Seniority Teachersâ?? Association (SSTA) has announced a statewide protest on December 26, demanding a resolution to a pay disparity issue that has remained unaddressed for more than twenty years.

The association, which represents nearly 20,000 Secondary Grade Teachers (SGTs) affected by the anomaly, has already conducted two phases of protests this month. The first phase saw teachers across the state highlighting their demands by wearing tags indicating their call for fair wages. This was followed by district-level rallies in the second phase, where members reiterated that the issue has been neglected despite repeated appeals to successive governments.

The core of the dispute revolves around the pay gap between teachers appointed before May 31, 2009 and those appointed after June 2009.

The SSTA members state that teachers recruited post-2009 continue to receive significantly lower salaries compared to their senior colleagues, even though both groups perform the same duties and share identical responsibilities in schools.

The association further contends that the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission in December 2022 widened the gap, leaving the affected teachers at a further disadvantage.

According to the association, this disparity violates the fundamental principle of â??equal pay for equal workâ?? and has caused long-term financial strain on thousands of teachers who entered service after the specified cut-off.

They argue that successive administrations, including the previous AIADMK government and the present DMK dispensation, have failed to correct the anomaly, despite acknowledging the matter. Their frustration has grown over the years as several representations, protests and memoranda have not resulted in a policy decision.

The association has pointed out that the demand was even reflected in the 2021 election manifesto of the ruling party, but no concrete steps have been taken since.

As the protest date nears, the government is scheduled to meet with various stakeholders.

The School Education Minister Anbil Mahesh Poyyamozhi, Finance Minister Thangam Thennarasu and Public Works Minister E.V. Velu are likely to hold discussions with representatives from 44 government employeesâ?? and teachersâ?? organisations, including those involved in broader service-related negotiations on Monday.

The SSTA maintains that the December 26 protest is intended to draw attention to the unresolved issue, and they remain prepared to intensify their agitation if the long-pending demand for salary parity continues to be overlooked.

/IANS