Teachers suspend strike, stick to 100% pay hike demand
Shillong, Oct 21: In a positive development for around 13,000 SSA teachers in Meghalaya, the state government has decided to enhance their salary, according to the agitating teachers who have suspended their 21-day strike following an assurance from the government.
The government decision came just ahead of the SSA teachers’ proposed protest rally in the city on October 23. The rally was cancelled now.
“We have decided to suspend our agitation after the state government agreed to our demand for salary enhancement. We were assured that the government would take a final call within a few months,” said Peter Thyrniang, president of All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) after a meeting with cabinet minister Ampareen Lyngdoh along with education department officials on Monday.
However, he said, the government could not specify the rate of enhancement due to the election model code of conduct being in force.
“The association would stick to a 100% hike given the fact that the last enhancement was eight years ago in 2016,” he said.
The current salary of SSA teachers in LP and LP schools are ₹19,994 and Rs 20,493 per month respectively, according to him.
Meanwhile, there is another group called Meghalaya SSA Schools Association (MSSASA), which had served a two-month ultimatum to the government to frame a policy to ensure service security of SSA teachers.
Education minister Rakkam Sangma earlier said the government would require an additional ₹300 crore to meet the demand for 100% hike in salary of around 13000 SSA teachers. On the other hand, ₹130 crore would be needed to fulfill the other group’s demand for regularisation of service and pay accordingly from the education department.
During the course of the agitation, the SSA teachers on strike also submitted a memorandum to Vice-President Jagdeep Dhankhar during his recent visit to Shillong.
According to the memorandum, in 2008, the SSA teachers got a 100% hike in salary from ₹1,500 to ₹3,000, and over 100% increase in 2010 from ₹3,000 to Rs 6,200. After three years in 2013, LP and UP teachers’ salary was enhanced to ₹9,200 (53.3%) and ₹9,900 (65%) respectively. In 2016, UP teachers’ salary was raised to ₹19,044 (107%) and LP teachers to ₹20,493, according to the association.
The education minister also referred to the Government of India’s policy of imposing a cut of 5% in its share of SSA teachers’ salary every year, imposing greater burden on the state. The state government now has to bear 30% compared to 90:10 funding pattern at the beginning of the Sarba Sikhsa Abhiyan.
“Earlier, it was a purely Government of India programme and the state government had to bear only 10%, but since 2018, the capping norms has been changed,” the minister said.
