Group deviates from indefinite strike, seeks policy on service security in 2 months
Shillong, Oct 2: In a split among the SSA school teachers fighting for salary hike and regularisation of service, a major group has deviated from the indefinite strike launched by the SSA teachers from Wednesday and rather served an “ultimatum” to the state government to frame a policy in this regard.
SSA teachers under the banner of Meghalaya Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan Schools’ Association (MSSASA) served a two-month “ultimatum” to the government to frame a policy to secure (or regularise) the services of over 12,541 SSA teachers.
On the other hand, SSA teachers belonging to All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) began their indefinite sit-in demonstration demanding 100% enhancement of salary.
“Among the two issues – enhancement of salary and security of services – we have chosen to put pressure on the government to come up with a policy to secure the services of SSA teachers in Meghalaya as was done in other states of the country,” said MSSASA president Aristotle C Rymbai after a meeting of the association.
“We have also decided to give two-months ultimatum to the government (to come up with the policy). Within this two months’ time, the Education department should complete all the formalities and put up the file to the cabinet for further necessary action from the state government,” he said.
Rymbai, however, warned that the association will be left with no option but to organise a democratic movement/agitation if the state government failed to pay heed to its demand.
The change in the association’s strategy took place following information from Education department authorities about the government’s move to provide security to the services of the SSA teachers.
During the two months, the association would meet chief minister Conrad K Sangma and other cabinet ministers to request them to frame the policy regarding service security of SSA teachers.
However, on MSSASA’s decision to pursue regularisation of services of SSA teachers, AMSSASTA general secretary Wanpyndaphi Lapang said Education department officials had denied government move to regularise the services of the SSA teachers.
“After seeing media reports on the matter, we went to meet the state project director, SSA and commissioner & secretary, education to demand an official notification on the proposed move of the government to regularise the services of SSA teachers. During the meeting, both the officials had denied outright the report and told us that the government as of now cannot regularise the services of the SSA teachers. Based on this, we have decided to stick to our demand for 100 percent salary enhancement,” he said.
Lapang further clarified that, “We don’t say regularization but we are demanding the government to streamline or to merge the SSA teachers to the education department. If you say regularise, there may be so many norms that we may be required to fulfil and it would not be good as most teachers are overage now. Therefore, we are insisting that the government merge us with the education department in a phase manner as was done in other states.”
Lapang had also emphasized the need for the government to adopt the deficit pattern model while shifting the SSA teachers to the education department, whereby teachers are paid by the government and schools remain with the school managing committees.
The government had last enhanced the salary of SSA teachers eight years ago in 2016.
