KOCHI: The teachers and non-teaching staff of the CET College of Management, Science and Technology in Airappuram near Perumbavoor are up in arms against the management over unpaid salary and dues. Over 124 former staffers -- teachers and non-teaching -- along with their families are staging a protest in front of the college demanding the nearly Rs 12 crore which the college owes them.
Recently, Keerthi, a former teacher of the college, and her husband had threatened to commit suicide on the campus after the management failed to clear the salary dues.According to Eldho John Airappuram, husband of a teacher who was forced to submit her resignation after she applied for maternity leave. “The affected parties have only one demand-- return the security deposit ranging from `2-`15 lakh and clear the salary dues,” said Eldho.
“The college affiliated to MG University began functioning in 2006. It is a self-financing college and had been doing well till 2016. Even the student intake was good with over 3,000 students. However, in 2016, trouble started. Payment of salaries got delayed and a few months on, the management stopped remunerations altogether,” he said. According to him, for two years, 2016 and 2017, the teachers had been working in an ‘honorary capacity’ -- that is without pay.
“When the college management stopped paying the salary, the teachers protested and began demanding payment. However, the management resorted to intimidation tactics and teachers were forced to withdraw their protest. The management would even make false promises,” said Eldho.
“We didn’t even get support from the police, who never entertained our complaints. We were forced to approach the director-general police who then issued a directive to office of the circle inspector, Kunnathunad (Pattimattam Police Station), under Section 420 to register our FIR,” he said.
According to Eldo, the management coerced nearly 95 percent of the staffers to quit.”All these staffers are women. The management told them that if they want to get their deposit back, they will have to resign. The teachers have decided to submit a mass petition before the court seeking a solution,” he said.