The Samagra Siksha Abhiyaan (SSA) teachers of the state under the umbrella of All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) began an indefinite sit-in demonstration at Malki Ground here today.
According to the AMSSASTA, they are on an agitation after the government’s failure to heed to their demands to hike their salary by 100 percent.
According to them their demand has been pending since 2019 and they had set a deadline of September 30 for a hike.
Peter Thyrniang, president of the association, said that they will not end their agitation until and unless the government gives in to their demands in writing.
“We SSA teachers do not get benefits of any allowances or leaves but we only get our fixed remuneration,” Thyrniang said.
According to him, in their last pay hike the SSA teachers’ salaries were increased by 107 percent.
“Eight years have passed (since the last pay revision). Therefore we need a hike of 100 percent,” the AMSSASTA president added.
According to him, in earlier times, their salaries were hiked every three or four years, but now it has been eight years since the last increase.
According to him the association since 2019 has been demanding from the government to take steps to increase their salaries.
Thyrniang said that their demands to increase salaries by 100 percent is justified in view of the fact of skyrocketing inflation.