KOCHI: A group of teachers at the Sree Narayana Vidyapeetam Public School, Tripunithura, began an indefinite strike on Wednesday, demanding an increase in their salaries commensurate with the CBSE Guidelines. However, the management said a majority of the teachers are not part of the stir and the classes are functioning as usual.
Divin Das M D, a teacher with the Mathematics Department, said the strike followed the management's failure to meet their demands for salary hike. "We don't earn half of what a government teacher at a similar level earns," he said, adding the strike is being held under the banner of Kerala Unaided School Employees Union (KUESU).
He said he received a hike of just `800 in the past five years, which works out to mere `160/year. "But the management has been increasing the school fees at an average of 10 per cent per year, citing hike in the pay scale of the teachers," Das alleged.
School Principal Rakhi Prince said only 8 out of a total of 73 teachers are on strike, and it has not disrupted the classes or the normal functioning of the school. She said the management has offered to increase the salaries of teachers by Rs 1,125-2,240 from April. "There was a mediation talks under the auspices of the Deputy Labour Officer on February 16, and I'm given to understand the DLO has said the teachers' demands have no merit," she said.
When pointed out about the management's version that only eight teachers were on strike, Das said only the executive committee members are part of the strike though it has the support of 43 members of the total staff of 100 (both teaching and non-teaching). "This is exam time for the students, and we also do not wish to disrupt the classes," he said.
On the proposed increase in wages from April, Das said the management has put in a clause that the teachers would not demand any further increase in salaries for the next five years if they accept this offer. "The management has collected a total of Rs 1.10 crore as capitation fee from the striking teachers, and this includes Rs 3 lakh to Rs 5 lakh from various teachers," Das alleged."Due to the low salary scale, many talented people are moving out from the teaching profession," he said, adding this was also a big social issue facing Kerala.