FASTOM’s agitation to continue as Meghalaya Govt decision unjust

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaJuly 4, 2022

Despite the Meghalaya Govt decision to enhance their salaries, the agitating adhoc teachers under the banner of FASTOM refused to call off their indefinite protest as thet viewed the government’s decision as a “blatant insult and disrespect” to the teaching community.

Reacting to the Govt decision, FASTOM spokesperson Mayborn Lyngdoh said that the teachers will continue with their indefinite protest till a decision is being taken on Tuesday.

Notably the teachers are staging an indefinite protest for the past six days for demands of salary enhancement of Rs 18,000 and 5% yearly increment.

Expressing disappointment over the Govt decision, Lyngdoh said, “When we take a look at the higher secondary, secondary and science teachers we are being given 50% of what we demanded whereas if you take a look at the upper primary and lower primary we are being given 25% of what we demanded.”

He also said that is a blatant insult, that is a blatant disrespect and that is something that the MDA government should not have done because it should have taken us into account.”

Lyngdoh argued that right from 2010 till 2016, there was an enhancement of 220 percent.

“We did not ask for 220 percent from the government, we are only asking for an average of 75 percent but even that is not being given to us,” the FASTOM leader asserted.

They have agreed to scale down on their original demands from decitization of the ad hoc schools to deficit pattern then to 18% enhancement and 5% yearly increment, Lyngdoh informed.

The FASTOM leader urged the state government to cut down on its extra expenses and fulfill the teachers’ demands.

“I am really unhappy. I cannot be happy because we are not being treated equally at a time when we need to be treated equally at the most,” he lamented.