Various teachers of Garo Hills under the aegis of the All Meghalaya 4th Teachers’ Association met Chief Minister, Conrad Sangma in Williamnagar today and submitted a memorandum seeking enhancement of SSA 4th teachers’ salaries as well as regularisation of their services.
The current memo comes after another was submitted on the same demands on October, 9 this year as well as other representations made earlier.
The teachers mentioned that they were still being paid Rs 12,000 per month whereas a regular teacher gets over Rs 20,400, despite both doing the same amount of work.
“We have submitted numerous representations on the matter to the Director of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) but have always been disappointed at the response,” said the teachers in their memo.
The memo sought equal pay for equal work done by the teachers as has been mandated even in the Constitution of India.
“Less pay for the same work violates Art 14 – Right to Equality and the same equals to arbitrariness of the state government. We demand that parity is maintained in the disbursement of salaries,” they added.
The teachers mentioned that there had been a move to enhance their salaries from Rs 12000 to Rs 20,493 in the year 2017, at par with the other teachers. However another letter in 2018 sought to make the pay of 4th teachers at Rs 16,000. The teachers demanded that the original proposal of Rs 20,493 be taken so that pay parity was brought about.
Further on the strength of their length of service as teachers under SSA, the association sought a regularization of their service.
“We have been rendering service to students despite being paid poorly for many years despite the hardships faced. Based on the length of service and experience, we have the legal expectation of regularization of service. We would request you to kindly look into the matter as such,” added the teachers.
