Part-time lecturers moot cease work
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, August 26 2011:
The All Manipur Government Higher Secondary Part Time Lecturers' Association has decided to launch a cease work strike if the Government would not revise their pay at their earliest.
Speaking to media persons at Manipur Press Club here today, president of the association Md Jahur said that 346 part-time lecturers were appointed in Government Higher Secondary Schools between 1992 and 1998 .
The part-time lecturers are entitled to only Rs 1000 per month as consolidated remuneration, Jahur said.
In 1999, remuneration of the part-time lecturers was revised to Rs 2000 per month after a long cease work strike.
The remuneration was again revised to Rs 4500 in 2006 .
Jahur said that the minimum basic pay of a Lecturer should be Rs 14,100 while the part-time Lecturers are being given remuneration of Rs 4500 only.
Saying that all the part-time Lecturers are either Master Degree or PhD holders, the association questioned as to why the Government is discriminating them.
Even the newly appointed contract Lecturers have been given Rs 8000 as monthly salary.
The president appealed to the Government for fairness and treatment of part-time lecturers at par with other lecturers.
He further pointed out that the association and the State Government signed an agreement in 2004 which assured that the Higher Secondary Part-Time Lecturers would be given basic pay in line with a Supreme Court verdict as and financial condition of the State improved.
But the Government has been keeping the agreement under wraps till date.
Instead of the considering the grievances of the over-aged part-time lecturers who have suffered for a long time, the Government recruited hundreds of Primary teachers, Graduate teachers and contract Lecturers in the Department of Education (U) under RMSA scheme.
A number of memorandums and reminders submitted by the association to the Chief Minister and the Education Minister to revise the pay of part-time Lecturers in comparison with the pay of contract Primary teachers and contract Lecturers but nothing positive has come out of all the appeals and reminders.
Urging for revision of their pay at their earliest, the association threatened that they are all prepared to launch cease work strike.