In a crucial meeting held today at the Jamshedpur Cooperative College, the Kolhan Vocational Teachers' Union gathered to address the ongoing issue of delayed contract renewals for teachers employed in vocational courses under Kolhan University. The meeting saw the presence of all the vocational course teachers, who voiced their concerns about the prolonged uncertainty regarding their employment contracts.
For the past five months, the renewal of contracts for these teachers has been pending, with no clear directives received from the university administration. The teachers highlighted that this delay has caused severe disruptions, particularly in the timely disbursement of salaries, leaving many teachers and their families in financial distress. They also pointed out that despite an inquiry order being sent on December 22, 2023, by the office of His Excellency to all universities, the process has yet to be completed.
In response to the situation, the teachers unanimously decided to initiate a phased agitation. The union leadership has outlined a clear plan, which includes a delegation of teachers meeting with the Vice Chancellor of Kolhan University to seek clarity on the status of the contract renewals. The delegation will also present the union's grievances and request a fixed timeline for resolution. Following this, teachers will wear black badges for one week to show their dissatisfaction. If the issue remains unresolved, the union has declared that a complete work boycott will follow.
The teachers described their situation as dire, explaining that their previous plans for protests demanding a salary hike have been overshadowed by the more pressing issue of delayed salaries. They further expressed their disbelief that vocational teachers in other states would be subjected to such hardships.
The meeting was chaired by the President of the Kolhan Vocational Teachers' Union, Prof. Amar Nath Singh, and attended by various union members, including Prof. Somnath Padiya (Secretary), Prof. Nazia Tahseen (Vice President), Prof. Swaroop Mishra, Prof. K.M. Rai (Treasurer), Prof. Sandeep Kumar (Media In-charge), and several other teachers.
