Kolkata:Raising the demand for effective implementation of the new UGC pay scales, several teacher organisations in West Bengal have given a call to cease work for two days as the state government keeps mum on the issue.
On November 5, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had announced that the new pay scale will be effective from January 1, 2020 in contrast to the teachers' demand to implement it from January 1, 2016.
The teachers' organisations, who had written to the chief minister earlier, have said that they are going to cease work on November 19 and 20 after they failed to get any response from the state government.
Commenting on the government's silence, Jadavpur University Teachers' Association (JUTA), general secretary, Partha Pratim Ray said, "This proves that University and College teachers of this state are not considered worthy of respect and can be easily neglected. The government talks about the quality of education but does not actually feel the need to do anything to attract or retain young talented teachers to University and College teaching.”
He said, “So far, we have tried our best to carry out our movement to receive our just dues without affecting academic activities. But the state government seems to care little for this and that is why we are being compelled to take to the streets.”
Those who are participating in the cease work are: West Bengal College and University Teachers' Association (WBCUTA), All Bengal University Teachers' Association (ABUTA), Burdwan University Teachers' Assocition (BUTA), Calcutta University Teachers' Association (CUTA), Rabindra Bharati University Teachers' Association (RBUTA), Kalyani University Teachers’ Council (KUTC), Vidyasagar University Teachers’ Association (VUTA), Aliah University Teachers’ Association (AUTA).
Earlier, on November 9, four days after the chief minister had announced the revised UGC pay scale for teachers, West Bengal Governor Jagdeep Dhankar met JUTA members and expressed dismay over the state government’s decision to implement it from January 1, 2020 instead of January 1, 2016.
The Governor assured the JUTA delegates that, if the state government implement the pay scale effectively from January 1, 2016 then he will try to get the central share of the arrears for teachers.
“We have received no response from anywhere, we have decided to go for a cease work. Almost all the colleges and universities will be affected on November 19-20,” Ray said.
Comments
0 comment