Chennai

Secondary-grade teachers (SGTs), who have been protesting for the past 21 days at various locations across Chennai, on Wednesday held a second round of talks with Tamil Nadu School Education Minister Anbil Poiyamozhi Mahesh at his residence on Greenways Road.

Representatives of part-time teachers also participated in the discussions.

Following the meeting, the minister announced that part-time teachers would receive a minimum monthly payment of Rs 10,000 from May, and said consultations would be held between the School Education Department and the Law Department on the issue of regularising their services.

Addressing reporters, Mahesh said Chief Minister M K Stalin had been closely monitoring the agitation and expressed concern over the prolonged protest by teachers. He said the demand for implementation of Election Promise No. 181 had been repeatedly raised by part-time teachers.

The minister noted that financial constraints following the change in government, including the non-release of central funds amounting to Rs 3,548 crore for the School Education Department, had contributed to delays in resolving the issue. However, he said the state government had since extended financial support to teachers and assured further improvements.

Mahesh said part-time teachers had earlier received a Rs 2,500 increase, followed by an additional Rs 2,500 hike, taking the amount to Rs 15,000, and assured that their concerns would be addressed.

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The talks came after a meeting between protesting SGTs and senior department officials earlier this week failed to break the deadlock, leading teachers to resume their agitation for “equal pay for equal work.” The dispute centres on a pay gap affecting teachers appointed after June 2009, which widened after the implementation of the Seventh Pay Commission in 2022.