Shillong, May 1: Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Friday briefly halted his convoy at Jaiaw to interact with protesting members of the Meghalaya Vocational Teachers Union, who were staging a demonstration outside the Student Field.

The protest coincided with a felicitation programme organised by the Meghalaya SSA School Association and the Meghalaya 4th Teachers Association, marking the State Government’s implementation of revised pay structures for SSA and 4th teachers.

Members of the MVTU raised concerns over their exclusion from the pay revision, alleging that vocational teachers have been overlooked since 2019 despite teaching Classes IX to XII at secondary and higher secondary levels.

MVTU president Aibansuk Suchiang said vocational teachers continue to receive low salaries without any pay hike, revision, or formal job policy, even though vocational education has been implemented in the state since 2017.

“We have been raising this demand since 2019 and have submitted memorandums multiple times to ministers and the Chief Minister, but no concrete action has been taken so far,” he said.

He further stressed that vocational teachers carry out responsibilities similar to other teaching staff and should therefore be included in the revised pay structure.

On noticing the protest, the Chief Minister stepped out of his convoy and held a direct interaction with the agitating teachers. He assured them that their concerns would be examined and that the government would extend support within its capacity.

“I will try my best to help and do whatever I can,” Sangma told the protestors.

The demonstration underscores growing dissatisfaction among vocational teachers over their continued exclusion from pay policy reforms and the absence of job security, even as other categories of teachers benefit from recent government decisions.