Chengdu teachers strike for more pay

CHENGDU: Hundreds of teachers from private high schools in this western China city called a strike this week to protest low salaries and deplorable working conditions.

On Thursday afternoon, teachers at the Chengdu Foreign Languages School, owned by the Chengdu-based Derui Group, had a dialogue with Yan Yude, chairman of the group, who is in this year's list of the richest men in China. Teachers asked for a pay rise, and Yan offered an increase of 1,000 yuan ($147) per month for the average teacher.

Teachers rejected Yan's proposal, saying many State-owned schools in the city had recently given their teachers a monthly pay raise of 3,000 yuan per month, said Ma, a renowned teacher of English in the city.