Kohima, February 23: The Nagaland Government Teachers' Association (NGTA), comprising the erstwhile SSA and RMSA 2010 and 2013 batches, has announced a two-day pen-down strike on February 24 and 25, alleging continued denial of salary parity despite being mainstreamed into the State Education Cadre.
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In a press release issued on Monday, the association said the decision followed the expiry of a seven-day ultimatum served on February 16 to the Directorate of School Education (DoSE), seeking redressal of their long-pending demand.
The association stated that its 2,293 members were formally mainstreamed into the State Education Cadre through an order issued on September 2, 2022, with effect from April 21, 2022, following Cabinet approval. However, it alleged that even after more than three years, their salaries continue to be drawn under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) funding pattern instead of the appropriate State Account Head applicable to regular state cadre employees under the School Education Department.
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According to the NGTA, several representations and appeals have been submitted over the years for inclusion of their salary component in the State Non-Plan Budget on par with other regular employees. The association claimed that no concrete response was received from the department.
Terming the department’s response as “lackadaisical,” the association said it was compelled to resort to the two-day pen-down strike.
The NGTA further warned that if the issue remains unresolved within the strike period, it will launch a “peaceful and democratic form of agitation” from February 26 until its demand for salary parity is met.
