SBS State University faculty protest enters 10th day over 7th Pay Commission
Ferozepur, September 25, 2024: The faculty members of Shaheed Bhagat Singh State University, Ferozepur, have entered the 10th day of their protest, demanding the implementation of the 7th Pay Commission. Despite the revised pay scale being introduced in 2016, faculty members of Punjab's technical universities and institutes have yet to receive it.
Members of the Engineering College Teachers Association (ECTA) expressed their frustration, stating that while all other state employees have been granted the revised pay scales, faculty from only five universities remain excluded.
Wearing black badges, the faculty members held a protest from 12 to 1 pm in front of the university’s D-Block. The Staff Welfare Association also backed the teaching staff, calling for the implementation of the revised pay scales notified by AICTE and UGC.
The ECTA president voiced deep dissatisfaction, accusing the government of discriminating against technical institution teachers by denying them the revised pay while non-teaching staff have already received it. He further warned that if the 7th Pay Commission is not implemented by September 30, 2024, the faculty members will stop performing their additional duties.
Faculty members from other state technical universities, including IKGPTU Kapurthala, MRSPTU Bathinda, and MIMIT Malout, have also decided to cease additional duties from September 30. ECTA members cautioned that if their demands are not met, they will be forced to escalate the protest into a full-scale strike, holding the government accountable for any disruption to students' education.