Vijayawada: Government teachers are chalking out an action plan to press for their major demands like 27 per cent fitment, same as the interim relief, an upward revision of HRA with 12 per cent minimum slab, abolition of Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) and gratuity.
The teachers claim that they have support for their demands from nearly nine lakh teachers, contract and outsourcing employees and pensioners, following the implementation of the Pay Revision Commission (PRC)
The PRC Struggle Committee and the ministers’ committee had on February 5 come to an agreement on pay and benefits of government staff. However,a section of employees, teachers and other stakeholders is holding out, stating that they were not happy with the terms of the agreement.
Several teachers unions’ leaders quit the Steering Committee to protest its unilateral approach on Tuesday. The teachers want a meeting with Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy to discuss their demands directly with him to avoid any misinterpretation.
AP United Teachers Federation general secretary K.S.S. Prasad said, “We appeal to the CM to consider our demands as they are acceptable to all employees, teachers and pensioners as it will result in a considerable increase in our wages and pensions and help us to extend all support to the government to implement its schemes wholeheartedly.”
The teachers claim that nearly 400 of their colleagues succumbed to Covid-19 while attending to the Nadu-Nedu programme while about 700 died of Covid-19 after attending to election work.
Meanwhile, the teachers while continuing their protest by attending schools wearing black badges held talks seeking support from other teacher unions, employees and pensioners.
AP United Teachers Federation (APUTF) president N. Venkateswarlu said, “We have called for a round table meeting with all stakeholders to discuss the PRC issue in Vijayawada on February 12. We will form a joint action committee (JAC) and will come up with an action plan on how to go about realising our demands on February 14. We want justice for all with regard to revised pay scales and pensions.”
The APUTF leaders expressed concern that police were collecting details of employees and teachers taking part in the stir and asking them to come to the police stations for inquiry. They said that such threats were meant to dilute the movement.
