As many as 602 higher secondary lecturers on Saturday cautioned the government that they will launch a cease work strike if they are not given their appointment orders along with their pending salaries of 11 months.
The 602 lecturers were recruited in 2018 on contractual basis, and all the teachers were given their regularisation order on January 8.
The lecturers stormed the office quarter of Education Minister Th Basanta Kumar located at Babupara, Imphal. It is learnt that the Education minister himself made a verbal assurance that the demands will be fulfilled. As his assurance was not satisfactory, the lecturers stormed the chief minister’s bungalow on Saturday demanding the same.
They were not allowed to meet the chief minister; however, they were instructed by the authority to meet with the chief secretary.
One of the protesters, Malemnganbi of Lamlai Higher Secondary told the media in front of Old Secretariat, Babupara, Imphal that the 602 lectures were given regularlisation order on January 8, 2022 but no appointments list was issued from the department concerned.
After their regularisation, the lecturers had not received their monthly salaries for the last 11 months. She added that if a government gets a regular job, then the employee has to get an MGEL number.
“If the appointment list is not issued by the government, then how would the lecturers get their respective MGEL numbers to get their monthly salary? We have been teaching students considering it as a sole duty of being a teacher. But without getting a salary for 11 months, how can we run our families,” said Malemnganbi.
She threatened that a cease work strike or pen down strike might be launched if the government fails to fulfill the demands.
“We resorted to holding agitations as we are unable to bear any longer,” Malemnganbi lamented. Meanwhile, a team of lecturers met Chief Secretary Vineet Joshi at his office chamber.
A lecturer who met the chief secretary, Osmee Nongmeikapam said in front of the Old Secretariat that they were given a positive response.
They were told by the Chief Secretary that a meeting of concerned officials will be conducted on Monday in order to discuss the issues of the lecturers, she said. The teachers were asked to meet on coming Friday, she added.
She said that the 602 lecturers have been working since they were recruited in 2018.
“The government has been cautioning the employees about ‘No work, No pay’. The teachers have been discharging their duties sincerely and where is the pay?” questioned Osmee.
The teachers have been waiting for a positive step from the government that they will get their regular monthly salary. An employee suffers when they do not get their monthly salary even for a month, but these lecturers have been suffering for the last 11 months without salary though they are performing their duties, she added.
She further questioned if the government is going to wait for an agitation for every issue, asserting that there would be no need for any agitation if everything is done in time. She further appealed to the authorities concerned to fulfill their demands.
