Teachers on protest path again as talks with govt fail

UP IN ARMS To hold demonstration in Patiala on August 5; education minister holds meeting with the adhyapak morcha as the chief minister fails to turn up

CHANDIGARH: Teachers’ unions in Punjab have decided to go back on protest path after their talks with the state government for regularisation of 27,000 teachers failed on Tuesday evening.

The two sides agreed on dropping clauses such as seven-year cap on tenure in a school from the teacher transfer policy-2018 and guidelines for teacher rationalisation in talks held between education minister OP Soni and the representatives of Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha, but could not come to an agreement on regularisation of contractual and other temporary teachers in government schools of the state.

The teachers’ unions have decided to hit the streets again. “A protest march will be organised in Patiala (the home district of chief minister Capt Amarinder Singh) on August 5 to be followed by protests at all district headquarters on August 27 in which effigies of the state government will be burnt,” said morcha convener Balkar Singh Valtoha.

He said the meeting was to be held with the CM, but he did not attend.

The morcha – a group formed by various school teachers’ unions – took the decision to resume the agitation in a late night meeting. Soni, who met the CM on Monday to discuss the unions’ demands, said the government had accepted all their legitimate demands. “They have been given the option of regularisation of contractual teachers with a pay of ₹10,300 per month or continue with the present salary. We have given time to consider the proposal,” he said, calling the talks “satisfactory”.

These teachers were engaged under the Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan and other state-run projects. As for others, a hike of ₹1,000 has been proposed by the fund-crunched government.

However, the morcha was disappointed and rejected the offer, demanding regularisation of all teachers with pay protection.

The teachers’ unions have been up in arms for regularisation of contractual teachers, full pay scale for teachers on equal work equal pay principle, changes in teachertaught ratio for secondary and senior secondary classes and amendments in the rationalisation policy.

The protesting teachers had suspended their agitation after the government called them for a meeting. However, the government kept them waiting with the chief minister cancelling his meetings with the morcha representatives twice in the past two months.

3,582 NEW TEACHERS TO FINALLY GET POSTINGS

The school education department will give postings to newly appointed 3,582 master cadre teachers on July 26 and 27.

These teachers had been waiting for postings after the education minister distributed appointment letters to them at a function held at Amritsar.

Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar had conducted an exam for recruitment of these math, science, social science and Punjabi teachers.

The August 5 protest in Patiala will be followed by protests at all district headquarters on August 27.

BALKAR SINGH VALTOHA, Sanjha Adhyapak Morcha convener