Slighted by decisions on salaries, increments, K'taka PU lecturers threaten evaluation boycott

Insufficient pay while pursuing mandatory BEd degrees and lack of promotions are two of the main demands.
Slighted by decisions on salaries, increments, K'taka PU lecturers threaten evaluation boycott
Slighted by decisions on salaries, increments, K'taka PU lecturers threaten evaluation boycott
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The Karnataka Pre University College Lecturer’s Association has once again resorted to boycotting paper evaluation to bring the government to the negotiating table.

The association, on Saturday, threatened to boycott evaluations if three main demands were not met. The PU lecturers had, in April this year, boycotted evaluations temporarily over demands for better pay and other facilities.

“Memorandums have been submitted across 31 districts in Karnataka, failing which, we will boycott paper evaluation,” said Thimmaiah Purle, the Association’s President.

The three main demands of the Association are:

Provide full salary while pursuing B.Ed course

The Karnataka government had, in 2013, made it mandatory for PU college lecturers to hold a BEd degree. The deadline given for existing lecturers who did not hold the degree was January 2017, and over 700 lecturers are yet to obtain the degree, Purle said.

Officials from the Department of Primary Education had, during a discussion on Thursday with the association members, said that lecturers would get only 50% of their salary while they pursue the BEd course, he said.

“Currently, the total salary PU lecturers get is Rs 34,000. This would mean that we will get only Rs 17,000 in hand (while pursuing the BEd). Of this Rs 9,800 gets deducted towards the non-pension scheme and other monthly deductions. How can we sustain a family with just Rs 7,200 per month? It is impractical,” Purle added.

Introduce promotion system for lecturers

The association claims that the Karnataka government has no promotion scheme for PU college lecturers.

Purle said that most PU college lecturers end up retiring from the same post without obtaining any promotion.

“There are 500 vacancies for PU college principals across the state. One of our demands is promotion of qualified PU college lecturers to these vacant posts and also as lecturers in degree colleges. The job offers no incentives or scope for growth,” Purle said.

Strike out demand of returning increment for contract lecturers

One of the orders issued by officials during the discussion with association members was that contract lecturers should return the lump sum of increment they had received for the period between 1985-1995.

“In 1985, the government had hired contract lecturers and they were only regularised in 1995. At the time, the government had noted that they had not been given an increment during that time period. Hence, these lecturers, upon being regularized, were given a lump sum as the increment amount for the 1985-1995 period. Now the government is demanding that those who had received this sum return the money. This is ridiculous and we demand that the order be cancelled,” Purle added.

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