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Newmai News Network
Imphal | January 13
Government school teachers under Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) commenced their indefinite cease work strike on Monday in Manipur.
The teachers launched the cease work strike under the banner of the Joint SSA and RMSA Teachers' Association Manipur (JSRTAM), demanding clearance of their pending monthly salaries for six months and other long pending demands which they alleged government is yet to address.
Marking the commencement of the cease work strike, the teachers converged at the zonal education offices of the Education department and staged sit-in-protest within the premises.
“We are appointed as regular teachers, give us our right,” read the banner under which the teachers staged the protest at the premises of the Imphal West ZEO at Khoyathong. “Don’t give false promises”, “No pay no work”, “Don’t test our patience”, “We too have families”, etc. read the placards displayed at the protest site.
Talking to reporters at the protest site, JSRTAM spokesperson, Ngasam Shingajit said that this time they will suspend their stir only after the state government comes out with a long lasting policy, addressing the grievances of the teachers.
He alleged that the state government has been fooling the teachers for a long time. They had launched various forms of agitations in the past too only to suspend their stirs trusting the assurances given by the state government.
“We have been demanding regular disbursement of our monthly salary as well as improving their service conditions by providing avenues for promotion by absorbing in the state government service,” he added.
“Whenever we launched agitations in the past, we have to suspend the stirs trusting the false promises given by the concerned authority of the government. This time we will not review our decision of indefinite cease work strike until and unless the government addresses our demands,” he asserted. The leader of the organisation added that since the SSA and RMSA teachers were given regular appointments in government schools in 2011, they have not been provided salaries in a consistent manner and they are not given any promotion avenues as well.
Ngasam Shingajit then informed that before commencing the cease work strike, JSRTAM had served an ultimatum to the state government in 2019 but their demands are not met till date. He further said that SSA and RMSA teachers will abstain from discharging their duties as invigilators, flying squads, observers and evaluators for the upcoming Board of Secondary Education and Council of Higher Secondary Education Manipur examinations. He added that they will not attend training programs and will not perform duties at those places they are posted.
The teachers will not participate in the 'School Fagathansi' mission of the state government, Ngasam Shingajit also said and claimed that more than 50 percent of the SSA and RMSA teachers are actively participating in the mission of the BJP-led coalition government but the inconsistent salary payment has created many problems for the teachers.
Similar protests were also staged at the ZEO offices in other districts, reports said.
