After teachers protest, govt tweaks pay scale notification

Tribune News Service
Patiala, October 21

After widespread protests by government schoolteachers over the revised pay notification, the Education Department today clarified that the revised pay scales would only be applicable to “future recruitments”.

The government, in its new order, stated: “The pay matrix shall be applicable to future recruits only and will not have any bearing on the incumbents.” In its earlier notification, the Education Department had revised the pay scales of its employees, including teachers.

As to the new notification, the teachers, however, are not convinced and have decided to continue their protest. Earlier today, they gathered outside their respective schools and burnt the copies of the orders and effigies of the Chief Minister. Besides, they raised slogans against the government. One of the teacher organisations, the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF), announced it would continue the protest till October 25. The front announced it would gherao the residence of Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal and Cabinet Ministers Tript Rajinder Singh Bajwa and Brahm Mohindra.

Devinder Singh Punia, president, DTF, claimed the revised scales would reduce the pay of new recruits by around 20 per cent compared to that of the incumbent counterparts. He said, “This is not acceptable at all. We will intensify our protest because it is a financial attack on teachers.”