Now degree teachers to go on strike

“We had decided earlier to go on an indefinite strike if the government issued an order without consulting us or if they didn’t issue an order at all,” Sadasivan said.

The cabinet took the decision to implement the Fifth Pay Commission scales on November 24, but teachers were still in the dark about the exact nature of the government resolution, Sadasivan said. “Except for the fact that they will implement the hike with effect from January 1, 1996, and transfer arrears up to September 30, 1998 to our Provident Fund accounts, they haven’t said anything else,” he added. There was no specification about the workload, or from when the government would implement revised scales and under what conditions, he added.

Further, teachers are miffed that the Higher and Technical Education secretary M R Patil wrote to them four days ago saying the teachers could meet him on December 9 at 4 pm. “Knowing well that our strike is scheduled for December 8, they have called us for a meeting on December 9,” Sadasivan said. “The education secretary has insulted the Federation and has not understood the seriousness of the matter,” he added.

The teachers had issued a notice about their agitation early enough but the minister had not called them for any dialogue, the MFUCTO president said. In between, the Cabinet decision was taken. “They could have written a letter to us and started drafting the GR, or called us for discussion. Nothing has been done so far,” Sadasivan said.