AMCTA to observe 'Black Day' on August 22 against non-implementation of 7th pay scale
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, August 20 2017: Extending solidarity to the call of All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisation (AIFUCTO) to protest the inordinate delay in implementation of 7th UGC Pay Review Committee which is pending before the Central Cabinet, All Manipur College Teachers’ Association (AMCTA) will be observing ‘Black Day’ on August 22 .

College teachers under the banner of AMCTA would wear black badges and hold meetings at their unit colleges.

However, normal classes may not be affected, said AMCTA in a press release .

It said that AIFUCTO had given a call for Court Arrest programme on the occasion of Teachers Day celebration on September 5 in New Delhi .

It pointed out that except college and university teachers, almost all sections of the Central Government employees and also many State employees are getting the benefits of the 7th Pay Commission .

The Pay Review Committee for UGC pay scale revision was constituted only after much persuasion and agitation by AIFUCTO after one year of the formation of the 7th CPC.

The UGC Pay Revision Committee headed by Professor Chouhan submitted its recommendation to the Ministry of Human Resource Development in February, 2017.Even after so many months, Government of India is sitting tight on it and most unwilling to execute the same, it mentioned .

The release claimed that deviating from conventional practice, UGC Pay Revision Committee’s recommendations have not been made public for discussion by stakeholders though same features of the recommendation are being leaked to press in bits and pieces .

“This is highly undemocratic and objectionable.

We have also come to learn from reliable sources that traditional 80 percent and 20 percent of sharing the financial burden between the Central and State Government respectively for a period of 5 years is going to be altered.

Considering the differential economic capacity of the States, many States were unable to implement the earlier UGC pay revision in totality even in the matching grant of 80 percent for a period of 5 years”, AMCTA said .

Maintaining that AIFUCTO has been demanding 100 percent financial assistance for uniform and simultaneous implementation of the 7th UGC pay scale across the country, AMCTA said what is really alarming is the report that came out in the Indian Express on July 4 last about an ongoing tussle between MHRD and the Finance Ministry on the issue of financial assistance by the Central Government to the States for implementation of 7th UGC scale .

According to the report, the Finance Ministry would extend only 50 percent support to the States for 3 years only for carrying out the recommendations of the 7th Pay Review Committee .

Such an approach mooted by the Central Government would seriously go against the teachers working in higher education as many State Governments may refuse to implement the same citing financial difficulty, a situation that would inevitably give rise to stir among teachers which in turn would affect the teaching and learning process, it asserted .

Such a decision would make the UGC recommendations redundant for the majority of the university and college teachers of the country.

University and college teachers of India having no alternatives left now resorts to peaceful agitations demanding cent percent Central assistance for a period of 5 years on the increased burden on the State on account of UGA pay revision and to make the recommendations of the Pay Commission public, it continued .

AIFUCTO believes that the cause of teachers and future of higher education in the country is constitutionally the joint responsibility of the State as well as the Central Government, the release said .

The 11 points demand of AIFUCTO includes regularisation of ad-hoc/temporary teachers, pay scale and service conditions for part time/block grant teachers, appointment on vacant posts on permanent basis, old pension scheme for all teachers, removal of anomalies of 6th pay scale, scraping of API and extension of dates for OC/RC, regular dialogue with the organisation and other teacher bodies on the issues of higher education including Higher Education Policy .

AIFUCTO in a press note released on August 19 had warned the Government that if the stalemate continues, 800000 universities and college teachers of the country will be compelled to go for a country-wide indefinite strike in universities and colleges, a situation which can be averted by positive action of the Central Government .

AMCTA said that the association being a unit of AIFUCTO will endorse all the steps taken up by the organisation in the larger interest of higher education, teaching community of the State and the country.

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