Management flays teachers’ strike
Our Correspondent

Ludhiana, April 1
The Sanatan Dharam Parcharak Sabha, a management body of the SDP Senior Secondary School, Hazuri Road, here has alleged that the aided teaching staff of the school had been holding a dharna and strike without any prior notice to the management from March 20 for the release of salary arrears.

Mr H.K. Chugh, secretary of the sabha claimed that the salary of the unaided staff and government aided (non-teaching) staff was already paid till February, 2004, while the government aided teaching staff had received their salaries upto November, 2003, against the release of government grant only up to September, 2003. Further, after the visit of a sub-committee of the management to the school on March 22 to resolve the matter, salary for yet another month, December 2003, was paid towards arrears to the aided teaching staff.

Mr Chugh further said the agitating members of staff thereafter submitted a charter of demands, listing 21 new demands at a meeting with the managing committee on March 25. The management, however, refused to concede on the issues of holidays other than those notified by the government and reduction in number of periods, which could adversely affect the working of the institution and interests of the students. The managing committee of the school was always open to talks with the teaching staff to resolve all pending issues, he added.