Guest teachers in government degree colleges in the State have threatened to launch an indefinite strike by boycotting classes from January 27 to urge the government to fulfil their demands.
Addressing a meeting of guest teachers in government degree colleges in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodagu districts here on Sunday, Mallikarjuna Manpade, secretary of the State association of guest teachers said the government had forced the teachers to go on an indefinite strike by ignoring their demands.
Their main demands included a salary of Rs. 25,000 per month and service security on the lines of the Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Haryana, Tripura and Goa models.
Madhava K.B., president, Association of Guest Teachers in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Kodgau Districts, said from this academic year onwards, guest teachers could teach for a total of eight hours in three days a week. They were allowed to teach only in one college. Their salary ranged between Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 10,000 per month.
Earlier, the teachers were allowed to teach in two colleges and would earn double the amount than they would be able to in the current academic year. As per the University Grants Commission guidelines, guest teachers should be paid Rs. 25,000 a month.
Ganesh Karnik, MLC representing South West Teachers’ Constituency, said he would take up the issues of the teachers in the Legislative Council session scheduled later this month. He agreed to meet with the guest teachers, higher education department officials and MLCs.
Mangalore City South MLA J.R. Lobo, said teachers should get “equal pay for equal work”.
