JNU to cut teachers’ pay for taking part in strike

NEWDELHI:Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU)teacherswhoparticipated in a day-long strike against the “administrative threat to faculty members” will lose one day’s salary, according to a notice sent by the registrar.

The JNU teachers’ association observedaone-daystrikeonTuesday following a spate of notices to faculty members who addressed students at the administration building, referred to as “Freedom Square”. The strike was also againstthe“arbitrary”adoptionof UGC gazette on admission policy.

The notice sent on Thursday saidthatundertheprincipalof“No Work, No Pay” teachers won’t be paid salary and allowances of that day.

Registrar Pramod Kumar told HT, “We have informed teachers about the rules in such cases. We will hear them and then decide.”

Theuniversityhasaskedteacherstoinformthemabouttheirparticipationinthestrikeandsaidthat faculty members will be given the opportunity to be heard before “further course of action” is decided.

“All faculty members who participated in the strike are requested to intimate in writing within 10 days about their participation. If no information is receivedfromthefacultymember, itwillbepresumedthathe/shehad not participated in the strike,” the registrar said.

Teachers termed the notice as another attempt by the administration to threaten them.

“First they sent notices to us over addressing students. Now they are threatening us with salary cut. Teachers don’t fall under the Central Civil Service rule which administration is citing,” said JNUTA president Ajay Patnaik. The administration, however, says that Central government rules are applied in cases where the university does not have its own rules.

“Till the committee gives its recommendations, teachers will continue to be governed by the rule,” registrar Kumar said.