Members of teachers’ unions await meeting with CM Bhagwant Mann, detained

Jalandhar, March 3

Around 12 members of five unions were detained in a room at the local Sports College as they waited for a meeting with Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann here on Saturday.

While members of at least three unions waited for about five hours, those of others waited for two to three hours. Assured of a meeting with the CM, the members awaited his arrival in a room on the premises of Sports College. They were allowed to come outside only after both the CMs had left the premises.

The major demands of the unions — the Sarv Shikhsha Abhiyan and Mid-day Meal Office Employees’ Union, Aam Aadmi Clinic Staff, Contractual Multipurpose Health Workers’ Union, Vishesh Adhyapak Union and Pharamacy Union — was regularization of jobs.

While the Sarv Shikhsha Abhiyan and Midday Meal Office Employees’ Union had been holding protests and meetings for days demanding the regularisation of employees as per the decision already taken but not implemented by the state CM. They were to meet the CM in connection with the same demand.

Union president Shobit Bhagat said, “We have been protesting over the issue for days and also held a pen-down strike. The CM had ordered the regularisation of the services of the contractual employees. Our only demand is that the issue be addressed.”

The SSA Office Employees’ Union had also declared a protest at the CM’s residence on March 4. The members said their previous plans to hold a protest on February 28 had been put on hold as they were assured of a panel meeting on March 1. But that meeting did not materialise either.

Meanwhile, staff of the Aam Aadmi Clinic had demanded to be deputed at stations in their home districts as they were forced to travel from far-off areas to join duties. A union member said, “We are Aam Aadmi Clinic staff members from Bathinda, Sangrur, etc. We have been deputed 300 km away from our native districts. Our demand is that we must be shifted to our districts and paid a fixed salary.”

Sarabjit Kaur, state president of the Contractual Multipurpose Health Workers’ Union, who was among the delegates seeking to meet the CM, said, “We have been seeking job regularisation for long. We have been constantly demanding to meet with the CM, but there is no answer. Our letters are forwarded to the Secretary or department concerned. This was hoped to be among the first promises to be kept by the government.”

Representatives of the Vishesh Adhyapak Union have also sought the regularisation of their services. They could not secure a meeting with the CM during his visit to Jalandhar on Saturday. The Sarv Shiksha Abhiyan and Midday Meal Office Employees’ Union said they would hold a protest in Chandigarh and outside the CM’s residence on March 4 as scheduled because despite repeated requests they have been unable to meet the CM or to get their demand for job regularisation implemented by the state government.