The Orissa Engineering College Employees’ Union has threatened to take to the streets if they are not paid salary and other dues by the college authorities soon.
“We have not been given salary since January 2019. EPF and ESI haven’t also been deposited in our name since August 2018. We met the director (administration) of the college yesterday and urged her to pay salary. However, she said salary would be paid on July 15. We then approached the Gratuity Labour Commissioner on the advice of the Chief Minister’s grievance cell. However, the commissioner said that he can’t interfere in private college matters. We are now leading a very miserable life. We will be forced to take to the streets if dues are not paid to us soon,” said union general secretary Angad Kumar Biswal and vice-presidents Kedar Charan Nayak, Ambika Prasad Mohapatra and Haladhar Swain in a statement.
Alleging that the college is being run by a particular family for long 33 years, they further informed that many employees have already quit jobs without getting dues due to the autocratic attitude of the college management.
They said the management has not paid pending salaries from August 2018 to December 2018 despite a High Court order.