Ludhiana: Teachers warn of protest if dues unpaid

Union leaders demanded that the government immediately issue a clarification letter ensuring full pay to all 5,178 teachers without distinguishing between petitioners and non-petitioners

The district unit of the Democratic Teachers’ Front (DTF) on Wednesday submitted a memorandum addressed to chief minister Bhagwant Mann through additional deputy commissioner Rakesh Kumar, expressing anger over the delay in releasing pending dues of 5,178 recruited teachers (non-petitioners) as per full pay scale during their probation period.

Warning of intensified agitation, the leaders announced that if their demands remain unresolved, they will hold a mass deputation at the director of secondary education’s office on August 5. (HT Photo)

District president Ramanjit Singh Sandhu and general secretary Rupinder Pal Gill said the director of school education (secondary) had already issued a speaking order on February 26, directing the disbursal of full pay arrears to all 5,178 teachers during their probation. However, even months later, the amount remains unpaid without explanation.

Sandhu further pointed out that the education department had earlier submitted in the Punjab and Haryana high court that this decision would be generalised for all eligible teachers, but the dues for non-petitioner teachers are still withheld. Meetings held in June with the education secretary and the cabinet sub-committee had assured resolution under the principle of equal pay for equal work, but no follow-up action has been taken yet, he mentioned.

Union leaders demanded that the government immediately issue a clarification letter ensuring full pay to all 5,178 teachers without distinguishing between petitioners and non-petitioners. They also urged for proper salary fixation of art and craft teachers recruited under the same drive according to the prescribed grade pay of 4,400.

Warning of intensified agitation, the leaders announced that if their demands remain unresolved, they will hold a mass deputation at the director of secondary education’s office on August 5 and a state-level protest on Teachers’ Day, September 5.

District Mulazim Front (DMF) district president Sukhwinder Singh Leel, Manavpreet Pal, Rajinder Jandiali, Amandeep Verma and Surinderpal Singh among others were present.

According to the teachers’ front, the recruitment of these teachers in 2014 came with the assurance of regularisation by 2017. However, the introduction of the Probation Period Act in 2015 created a roadblock by mandating basic pay during probation. “Although this law was not meant to apply to those recruited before 2015, these teachers were still subjected to it,” teachers say. Vikram Dev of the DTF said, “Nearly 500 approached the Punjab and Haryana High Court and won the case. While the petitioners received their pending dues, the non-petitioners continue to be ignored, despite a clear directive from the education department to apply the decision to all of them.”