Why are teachers in Andhra Pradesh up in arms against the government?

Government teachers in Andhra Pradesh continued their protest over pay revision and other demands, rejecting the deal reached between the state government and PRC Sadhana Samithi.

Various teachers' unions on Tuesday, February 8 quit the steering committee of PRC Sadhana Samithi as a mark of protest over the deal reached on Saturday, February 5.

State Teachers' Union president Joseph Sudheer Babu, United Teachers' Federation general secretary KSS Prasad and Andhra Pradesh Teachers' Federation president Hrudaya Raju announced their resignation from the steering committee saying it acted unilaterally during the talks with the government.

They announced that they will continue their protest as the government has not accepted their demands. The unions said teachers will participate in the ongoing five-day protest. The teachers' associations threatened to intensify their protest. They said a round table meeting will be called soon to chalk out their future course of action.

Following an agreement with the government, employees had dropped their plans to go on strike from February 7. While the government accepted few demands of the employees' unions, the latter softened their stand on few demands, leading to an amicable solution.

The government did not accept the demand to enhance the pay revision beyond 23 per cent. However, the teachers' unions opposed the agreement. They said PRC Sadhana Samithi failed to achieve their main demand of 27 per cent pay revision.

United Teachers' Federation (UTF) leader Venkateshwarlu said the talks between the teachers and the government failed. Venkateshwarlu said the government was ready to give only a 10 per cent HRA to teachers. He demanded that the government pay a minimum 12 per cent HRA or continue the old system of HRA.

The UTF president also demanded 27 per cent pay revision. He said denying them an opportunity to raise their demands before the Chief Minister was undemocratic.