Madras University Syndicate withdraws proposal to revise pay scales of non-teaching workers

The Syndicate of the University of Madras, on Monday, withdrew a proposal to revise the pay scales of non-teaching workers of the college to convey them on par with the State government-approved scales for comparable posts.

The University has been within the eye of a storm because the non-teaching workers resorted to protests on campus to precise their displeasure earlier this month. The Syndicate assembly was additionally postponed twice earlier than being lastly held. On Monday, too, the workers gathered on the foyer of the constructing that homes the Vice Chancellor’s workplace and the Syndicate room and sat by means of the day until the assembly was over.

The proposal, which has since been withdrawn, said that the distinction in scales “pose a problem by way of self-sustainability and parity”, looking for approval for government-approved pay scales and promotion insurance policies for non-teaching workers.

“The Syndicate has withdrawn the merchandise from the agenda,” mentioned S. Balakrishnan, president, University of Madras Non-teaching Staff Association. “Senior officers additionally assured us after the assembly that there can be no revision of pay scales for the present workers.”

The workers and lecturers of the college belonging to varied associations, got here collectively beneath a joint motion committee to oppose this transfer. The argument put forth by the unions was that the merchandise within the agenda didn’t embrace any particulars on what can be the character of the revision, what can be the timeline and the modalities for a similar.

Besides, they argued that the present pay fixation occurred within the late Nineteen Eighties following suggestions by the Dr. Venugopal and Dr. Arumugam committees and was accredited by the Seventh Pay Commission.