635041594177486594untitled1.jpg (Photo : www.guancha.cn)
Hundreds of teachers in Hubei had refused to go to class and instead gathered in protest at an athletic field demanding a fair salary.
Local government officials said they would immediately look for solutions to the problem and draw up a new policy regarding the treatment of the teachers.
Around 600 teachers from Luotien Middle School, Experimental Middle School and elementary schools participated in the strike on Friday morning.
One teacher claimed that since 2009, their monthly salary has remained at 1700RMB inclusive of bonuses.
Another teacher said hospital workers and other government employees have been given monthly subsidies of 500RMB since 2010 but teachers have yet to receive theirs. The arrears on teachers' subsidy are now estimated at 20,000RMB per teacher.
"This is the reason for the protest," one protester explained while revealing the group's suspicion that their money is being squandered or spent elsewhere.
Local officials met with the protesting teachers later in the afternoon and managed to convince them to return to their classrooms. A special meeting will be held by a local council to try to find an immediate solution to the teachers' demand for higher pay.
Yesterday a local education official confirmed that teacers' salaries are indeed considerably lower than those in other industries. He added that teachers' salaries should be increased but there really has been no concrete details on how that was going to happen.
One person involved in the protest said that although teachers have returned to the school, they have not begun teaching yet. The students are just studying by themselves, he said.
