Teachers to mass bunk city colleges today

Mumbai: Over 80 per cent teachers of the aided and unaided colleges in the city and state have submitted their ‘casual leave application’ form for Tuesday, when they intend to mass bunk to press for their long-pending demands. They are going to protest against the government’s inaction for the recruitment process of the teachers.

For the last five years, the recruitment of teachers in the aided colleges has been held back by the state government due to which college management is appointing teachers on contract basis or on clock hour basis (CHB). However, teachers allege that in CHB they are being paid under Rs 12,000 to Rs 15,000 without any security, while permanent teachers are paid above Rs 60,000. Moreover, they are made to work just like the permanent teachers but with less salary and no provisions.

They also want the government to fill the vacant teaching posts, implement the 7th pay revision scheme for all the teachers, implementation of ‘equal pay for equal work’ as per the Supreme Court order.

Dr. Tapati Mukhopadhyay, president of Maharashtra Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation, which is organising the protest, said that over 80 per cent of teachers of both aided and unaided colleges have registered themselves for the protest. “Most of the teachers of colleges like St. Xaviers’, Hinduja, KC College have registered. Such protests  will happen until the state government agrees to talk with us.”