SF teachers, staff for indefinite strike

Thiruvananthapuram: Self-Financing College Teachers and Staff Association will go on an indefinite strike in front of the secretariat, starting Saturday, demanding a law to check the exploitation of employees in the sector.

Association general secretary A Abdul Wahab said many colleges did not even provide maternity leave for women employees.

There are more than 5,000 employees and almost 90 per cent of them are in higher education institutions. However, there is no law to address issues specific to the sector even though they have been functioning in the state for more than 25 years. Rules governing universities were framed before the advent of self-financing colleges.

The LDF had included the proposal for such a law in its 100-day action plan but not implemented it. The managements would target and harass those who protest or air grievances. This should be treated as human rights violation, he said.

Around 2000 staff working in various self financing colleges have been enrolled as members of the association. Though many others have expressed the desire to join the association but they fear victimisation by the management, Mr Wahab said.

CPM Kollam district secretary K.N. Balagopal said that many colleges have not implemented the AICTE scale. “They pay only less than Rs 10,000 to the teachers,” he said. “Teachers who have no job security are, in turn, used by the managements to victimise students.:

The Justice K.K. Denesan commission appointed by the government to study the self-financing sector should address the issues faced by the teachers also, he said.