E-Paper
Covid-19 : Agreed to give 1-day salary, dept announced deeper cut, claim technical edu staff
On Saturday, dept had said it would contribute Rs 5 crore to the CM relief fund and announced a 7-day salary cut for Group A and B employees, 3 days for Group C and a day for Group D
A day after the Punjab technical education department announced that it would contribute Rs 5 crore to the CM’s covid relief fund, all department employees are not on the same page. There is confusion on whether the salary cut to fund this is voluntary, or if the employees have to give consent. Salaries for April are yet to disbursed.
According to the department’s declaration, officials of group A and B will contribute seven-day salary, group C three days and group D one day. Sources said a week’s salary of a group-A staffer was around Rs 40,000.
At least 100 industrial training institutes, 25 polytechnic institutes, four engineering colleges and two technical universities are under the ministry’s administrative control.
Workshop instructor union president Harkesh Kumar said, “All staff members in the department irrespective of level had agreed to contribute a day’s salary. The announcement, however, was made, for contributing up to seven-day salary. If given more time, we will have agreed to this as well,” he said, adding that if a government order was issued, no would oppose it.
“We are asking for consent, but all should contribute voluntarily,” said Jasvir Singh Gill, Polytechnic Gazetted Teachers Association.
Baljit Kaur, president, of an employees body in state-run polytechnic colleges said, “There is no clarity as yet on salary cuts for different levels. No employee can refuse to contribute, if made compulsory.”
Additional director Mohanbir Singh Sidhu, who was in touch with employee unions before the announcement, said, “I am not an authority to announce such deduction. One should not mind contributing during such adverse times.”
Technical education minister Charanjeet Singh Channi said Saturday’s decision was based on the majority view. “All should be socially responsible,” he said, adding that he had contributed one-month salary to the relief fund.
