Pay clause: Teachers protest in Sangrur, Barnala districts

Tribune News Service

Sangrur, March 11

Hundreds of teachers working under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA) and Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA) along with other organisations today protested in Sangrur and Barnala districts and burnt the effigies of the state government over its direction to them to work on basic pay for three years if they wanted regularisation of their jobs.

The protesters said the government was pressurising them to take extreme steps. They alleged they had been working for the past more than 10 years under various authorities while computer teachers were made permanent in 2011 under a society.

But now, the sudden decision of the government to ask them to come on basic pay if they wanted to become regular employees had caused panic among them.

“How will the teachers meet their financial needs with Rs 10,300? They have taken loans after getting handsome hikes in their salaries. All organisations will support teachers in their protest against the Punjab Government,” said Balvir Chand of the Democratic Teachers’ Front, Sangrur.

Leaders of the Bharatiya Kisan Union, Ugraha , Adhyapak Dal Jahangir, Master Cadre Union and some other organisations also joined the protest today.

“Before elections, the Punjab Congress had promised to regularise our services as we were already drawing handsome salaries. But the latest decision to ask us to work for three years on basic salary has exposed the real anti-employee face of the government,” said Rajinder Singh, a teacher posted in Sangrur.