College teachers stage protest over 7th pay commission
The Maharshtra Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (MFUCTO) on Tuesday organised a court arrest action (Jail Bharo Andolan) in Mumbai University campus, Fort, against the state government for not fulfilling their charter of demands.
Teachers from different parts of the state had come to support the protest, in a way to express their grievances; teachers from St.Xaviers, KC College, Saboo Siddique, R.K Talreja and some other colleges held hoardings which highlighted their demands.
Dr.Tapati Mukhopadhyay, President of MFUCTO said, “The major demand of MFUCTO from the state government is of filling up of the posts, as 40-50 percent posts are vacant, they are being adjusted by contractual teachers.”
Where regular teacher’s salary is 50,000 contractual teachers are being paid 15,00020,000 and is such a less amount living is not possible. added Mukhopadhyay
The teachers’ federation claimed that in August 2014 in a similar agitation in Azad Maidan, Education Minister Vinod Tawde had made several promises which he did not fulfil.
Ravi Mishra, Assistant Professor of Bhavan’s College said, “After meeting Narendra Modi in August 2014, Education Minister Vinod Tawde used our platform as an opposition leader, at that time he had once he will become the Minister, he will resolve our grievances with the help of dialogues.”
“It’s been four years he has not called the union for dialogues neither has he released the 71 days salary.” added Mishra. He further said, “Education Minister Vinod Tawde should not forget when former Education Minister Rajesh Tope betrayed us, he lost the election.”
Dr.R B Singh from Dandekar College, Palghar said, “Teachers from our college have come all the way from Palghar because if our demands would not be fulfilled, how will youngsters in this field earn a living and who will teach the students from self-financing course.”
The Federation whose demands are to get back the pension scheme, filling up of vacant posts and amongst the charter of demands the union also wants the state government to implement the Supreme Court order, “Equal Work for Equal Pay”, on September 11 they will observe One-day cease work.