SHILLONG, Oct 13: SSA teachers of the state are likely to join hands to put greater pressure on the state government to fulfil their pending demands.
The development comes after Meghalaya SSA School Association (MSSASA) reached out to the All Meghalaya SSA School Teachers Association (AMSSASTA) on the need to unite in order to pursue their demands with the state government.
A delegation of the MSSASA, led by its president Aristotle C Rymbai, visited the members of the AMSSATA who are holding their indefinite protest at Malki ground.
The AMSSASTA is demanding 100 per cent enhancement of their salaries while the MSSASA is demanding shifting of the services of 13,000 SSA teachers from the State Implementation Society (SIS) to the Education department to secure their services.
Rymbai told reporters that the main objective of the MSSASA was to reach out to the other faction with the offer of working together for the interest of the SSA teachers.
He said the two associations have decided to consult their general executive committees on uniting the two factions.
Replying to a query, he said the plan is to have a single association of the SSA teachers. “We cannot force the idea of a single organisation. But it will be a great thing if we can come together under one umbrella,” the MSSASA president said.
“Since July 2022, we have been demanding that the state government should regularise the services of the SSA teachers besides enhancement of salaries. The government has asked the State Education Commission to examine our two pending demands,” Rymbai said.
According to him, they have apprised Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma and Education Minister Rakkam A Sangma on their demands.
Expressing confidence that the government will consider their demand to shift the services of the SSA to the Education department, he said many Northeastern states like Assam, Manipur, Nagaland, and Arunachal Pradesh have already transfer the services of the SSA teachers to their respective Education departments.
“Meghalaya is the only state in the Northeast which is yet to regularise the service of the SSA teachers,” Rymbai said.
AMSSASTA adviser Batista M Lyngwa, while welcoming Rymbai’s offer, said they will have to convene a meeting of the general executive committee to discuss the proposal of uniting the two factions to jointly pursue their demands with the government.
“We are supporting the demand of the MSSASA. But I cannot confirm that the two associations will immediately work together,” he said.
AMSSASTA general secretary Wandaphi Lapang said they were made to understand during their meeting with MDA spokesperson Paul Lyngdoh that the Education minister was preparing the report.
She informed that the minister will submit the report to the chief minister who will place it before the Cabinet for a decision.
