Guest lecturers of 10 newly-converted government arts and science colleges, the erstwhile constituent units of Bharathidasa University, have been left high and dry without salary for months at a stretch for the second time during this academic year.
The guest lecturers have not been paid their salary for the months of October, November and December. The government had directed the university to meet the salary expenses of the guest lecturers but the university has been unable to comply with the directive purportedly due to financial crunch. On the earlier occasion, they over 600 guest lecturers were sanctioned their pending salary dues for three months by the Bharathidasan University last year after repeated protests and representations to the State Government. This time around, the guest lecturers have suspended their sit-in strike that they had initiated last week in a few colleges on the assurance by officials of Higher Education Department and representatives of Bharathidasan University that the issue will be addressed later this month. The guest lecturers have reportedly told the officials that their protests will resume if their demands are not fulfilled.
Their demands include payment of ₹ 20,000 per month with effect from the start of 2020 as per an order issued by the Government, enhancement of salary for non-teaching staff with effect from April, 2020, official designation of hourly-basis teachers as guest lecturers, and settlement of salary for the month of June, 2020, along with the dues of the last three months.
The guest lecturers had conveyed to the officials that the salary dues must be settled on the basis of ₹ 20,000 per month.
