RMSA teachers in Wokha list out worry and misery

Dimapur, Jan.24 (EM): The 2013 batch of teachers with the Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) in Wokha has appealed to early redress their plight in having to suffer what they said on Thursday were issues ranging from appointment matters to salary cases. The group issued a press release to the media stating their concerns. The statement explained the first of several concerns: Expediting the process of absorbing RMSA teachers 2013 into the “state government service as assured by the government authorities.” It is to be noted that at the time of recruitment, the group stated, there was no mention of their service “as under RMSA or CSS and the recruitment procedure was also in line of other state services.” ‘We came to know about our nature of appointment as under CSS only at the time of issue of appointment letters,’ the statement read. The second issued listed in the statement was that of implementing the 7th Revision of Pay, and ‘ from the date it was implemented for the other state employees as it would be unjustifiable and discriminatory if the same is implemented for the RMSA teachers at a later date.’ The Wokha unit has demanded that the arrear should be given from the date the 7th RoP came into effect for the other state employees. The unit also requested regular payment of salary. ‘Till date, the RMSA teachers have been performing our duties diligently despite the discrimination and subsequent hardship faced due to non payment of salary,’ the note explained. “Nevertheless, the RMSA teachers at no point have taken any step to jeopardize the career of the students since we are the ones teaching the students of class 9 & 10, which is the most crucial stage for the students,” the organisation stated. “We would like to further state that we are also humans; we have family, we have children and we have basic needs which we cannot fulfil due to non payment of salary for 5-6 months at a stretch. How long? We ask, for how long must we endure? We will have no option but collaborate with the central body and other units and take steps that may derail the smooth functioning of the secondary schools.” The teachers urge the government to take serious note of their concerns and ‘release our five months pending salary at the earliest and to take necessary steps to pay our salary on time in tune with other state employees in the future.’