PU classes disrupted as lecturers' indefinite strike enters second day

Mangalore, December 9: Classes at many pre-university colleges across coastal Karnataka and other parts of the State continued to disrupt as the indefinite strike initiated by lecturers entered second day on Friday.

The strike was called to press for the removal of disparity in their salaries and other long-pending demands.

As the colleges opened in the morning, the lecturers reported for duty and signed the attendance registers. They, however, boycotted the classes and protested against what they termed the government's “indifference” towards their problems.

On Thursday, they staged a protest in front of the office of Deputy Commissioner in Mangalore and raised slogans and deplored the government for “ignoring” their repeated pleas. The protesters demanded that their salaries be brought on a par with the degree college teachers who have the same qualification and work for the same number of hours every day.

The salaries of PU teachers remained equal to those of their counterparts in degree colleges till 1996. But when the salaries were revised twice thereafter, the pay of degree college teachers soared, but that of PU college teachers did not.

At present, a PU lecturer is paid a basic salary of Rs 11,400 plus Rs 200, whereas the Fifth Pay Commission recommended a salary of Rs 13,400. Pre-university teachers in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra are paid much higher. Hence, the protesters said, they should be paid a basic salary of Rs 14,050 and principals Rs 18,150.

The protesters say that several representations were made to the government which responded only with “hollow promises”. In April 2011, the teachers had boycotted the evaluation of II?PU examinations and refused to budge unless the government accepted their demands. On April 11, the government, through an order, promised to meet the teachers' demands within 30 days. But the promise was never kept. The teachers again took to the streets last September, but remained unsuccessful.

“We are not going to be deceived by the government's tactics anymore. We won't budge till our demands are met,” said the protesters pledging to continue the protest until getting their demands fulfilled.