Teachers threaten to go on indefinite strike from July 16

Teachers from the Maharashtra State Educational Institutions Association have threatened to go on an indefinite strike from July 16. If their pending demands are not met by July 15.

Among their demands are the settlement of their salary arrears, non-salary grants up to 12 per cent in various private educational institutions and roll back of the order of the state government for schools with less than 50 per cent attendance on the day of the school attendance audit.

Naval Patil, president of the association, said: "We had earlier decided to go on strike on July 2, but due to the Mantralaya fire, we decided to postpone it. Now we will go on a strike from July 16. If we don't see any action being initiated." He added that the government resolution passed on May 2 after the roll verification drive in the state, is a faulty one.

"The government should not take such major decisions on the basis of a single day's attendance in schools. Such stern action against schools with less than 50 per cent attendance on the day of the audits is uncalled for," he said.

The Association has demanded that non-salary grants be extended to private educational institutions as well and students of private schools be given the facilities government school students get and the recruitments of teachers be initiated the earliest.

"The master plan of the state that has kept the Right To Education (RTE) Act at its core and decided to set up new primary and upper primary schools should also allow private schools to be set up in areas where there is demand for it."

"The proposed Maharashtra Public Universities Act by former University of Pune (UoP) vice-chancellor Arun Nigvekar has loopholes in it. It needs to be reconsidered by the state, before any decision is taken in the Monsoon Session," Patil added.

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