Punjab: 6,000 college teachers go on mass leave over pay hike

CHANDIGARH: On Teacher's Day, over 6,000 government and non-government college teachers in Punjab proceeded on mass leave in support of their demands, including raise in pay scale.

Under the banner of Punjab Federation of University and College Teachers Organisations (PFUCTO), the agitating teachers from several parts of the state gathered here Wednesday to participate in the protest against the "apathetic attitude" of the Congress-led government towards their demands.

"We have been demanding implementation of recommendations of the UGC with regard to the seventh pay commission report.

Several states, including Haryana, have given the UGC pay scale to teachers of colleges and universities but the Punjab government has failed to do so yet," General Secretary of PFUCTO, Jagwant Singh said.

He said that University Grants Commission (UGC) had already asked the states to implement the pay scale but the state government had not done yet.

The protesting teachers also condemned the state government for not hiring regular teachers in the government colleges.

"With fresh recruitment not being made, imparting education in government colleges has been hit.

Only 30 per cent regular teachers, including professors, have been working in the government colleges," he said adding that more than 1,300 posts of teaching staff in 60 government colleges were lying vacant.

"According to UGC guidelines, 90 per cent of the teaching staff should be regular, but in Punjab the situation is different," said Jagwant Singh said.

The PFUCTO general secretary also demanded that the state government regularise the services of 1,925 contractual college teachers who were hired in 2015.