SSA-RMSA teachers threaten hunger strike in CM’s district

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, October 1

A delegation of the SSA/RMSA Teachers’ Union, along with members of Model and Adarsh Schools Workers’ Association, Punjab, headed by Sanjha Front Union leaders Harjeet Singh Jeeda and Apar Apaar Singh submitted a memorandum to Finance Minister Manpreet Singh Badal over their demands at his office here on Monday.

The delegation demanded that for a long time they had been providing their services in schools, but instead of regularising their jobs, they were being harassed as the state government was allegedly planning to cut their salaries up to 75 per cent.

Rejecting the proposal of the state government of giving Rs 10,300 salary, they claimed that this would not only affect 9,000 teachers, but also their families dependent on them.

Union leader Manjit Singh said the Education Minister was presenting wrong figures and was trying to influence the school education.

They announced that if their demands were not fulfilled, they would start a hunger strike in the home town of Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh from October 7.

Threatening the state government, they said death due to hunger strike wouldn’t be a natural death as it would be due to the wrong polices of the government.

They added that in the coming days they would expose the ministers and officials by presenting documents in front of the people.

Harjit Singh Jeeda, general secretary (state unit) of the SSA/RMSA Teachers’ Union, said, “The state government, in the garb of regularising jobs of teachers, wants to reduce their salaries and if the decision is implemented, it would affect hundreds of teachers in the district.”

“The teachers working on contractual basis are already getting Rs 40,000 to 45,000 monthly salaries and reducing these to Rs 10,300 on condition of regularising their jobs is completely unjustified,” they said.

Cutting salaries up to 75 per cent

• The delegation demanded that for a long time, they had been providing their services in schools, but instead of regularising their jobs, they were being harassed as the state government was allegedly planning to cut their salaries up to 75 per cent. 
• Union leader Manjit Singh said the Education Minister was presenting wrong figures and was trying to influence the school education.
• Threatening the state government, they said death due to hunger strike wouldn’t be a natural death as it would be due to the wrong policies of the government.