Its transport staff still on strike but Delhi Public School to reopen today

Vilas Chavan,a driver working at the school for over nine years,said,“Leave alone the fact that I have not been made permanent even after these years,I haven’t yet got any joining letter. I have a family of seven and my monthly salary is Rs 8,600. We are employed as drivers but we are often asked to do additional jobs like cutting the grass. We have been telling the authorities that this amount is not enough to sustain ourselves; the school has been ignoring our demands. “

Another driver,Deepak Jagtap,said,“The school management is not talking to us at all; we went to the labour court today. When we approached the school,they asked us to get in touch with the hiring agency. The agency refused to help us in any way,saying it is in the hands of the school. We met a few officials there,who said if we want they will visit the school tomorrow. If things do not work out even after this,we plan to go on a hunger strike.”

The agency,however,did not agree to these claims. “Many of the boys have been with us for seven-eight years and we have treated them really well. Even after that if they are saying we have been unfair to them,we cannot really help them. We have been following all government guidelines,” says spokesperson Sumati Arora.

The school,on the other hand,put out a circular on its website. The circular issued by the principal read,“The transport staff has still not returned to work. With the status quo ante not being restored,we have drawn up a schedule,explained in this circular,for the normal functioning of our school. The school will reopen for all children of nursery to class III,beginning tomorrow,Wednesday,September 21,2011. Classes will be held on all days,including Saturday,September 24,2011.”