Patiala: Salary released after strike by Punjabi University faculty

Patiala, September 11

Teaching and research work remained affected at Punjabi University as the ongoing pen-down strike by faculty members demanding timely disbursal of salary continued on Monday. The non-teaching Class B and C employees also joined the protest.

The faculty members have been holding protests over the delay in the disbursal of salaries for the past few days, leading to disruption of academic work on the campus for over a week.

Maninder Singh, president, Punjabi University Teachers’ Association (PUTA), said, “The university had sought some time to disburse the salaries. We had demanded the release of salaries by September 8, but it was not done. We thus decided to resume the pen-down strike and boycott the classes on Monday. The administration later released the salaries.”

Faculty members said the state government was providing funds on time, but the university had been delaying the release of salaries.

Representatives of the university’s non-teaching employees also raised a similar demand. Rajinder Singh Bagdia of the union said, “We want the university to promote clerks and sewadars working on ad hoc basis to regular. Besides, malis, helpers, sewer-men and carpenters should also be regularised. The authorities have assured us to discuss the matter in the upcoming syndicate meeting. They have also promised to disburse our salaries by September 20.”