Guest lecturers in Sivakasi seek UGC-recommended salary hike

Joint Action Committee of Guest Lecturers’ Association protests for salary increase, demanding implementation of UGC recommendation of ₹57,500 per month.

Members of the Joint Action Committee of Guest Lecturers’ Association on Monday staged a protest here, pressing for increase in their salary as per the recommendation of University Grants Commission.

The protest was led by its branch leaders K. Subramaniyan and B. Arumugam on the premises of Government Arts and Science College in Sivakasi.

The protesters said that over 7,300 guest lecturers were working in Government arts and science colleges in the State and they were drawing only ₹25,000 as monthly salary. “Even this consolidated pay is only for 11 months in a year,” a protester said.

UGC has made a recommendation that guest lecturers should be paid ₹57,500 per month. Despite this recommendation and a High Court direction to the State Government to hike the pay, the State Government had not implemented it.

“The Government has been allocating the salary as miscellaneous expenditure and, hence, the salary for April is paid after a delay of two or three months. Most of us struggle even to pay the school fees for the children after reopening of the schools,” another said.

The association also sought priority for guest lecturers while filling up vacant posts.