Professors of NLC-owned college begin indefinite stir on pay

About 120 faculty members of a college owned by Neyveli Lignite Corporation began an indefinite strike here today, demanding they be paid salaries on par with the Fifth and Sixth Pay Commissions and given arrears for the last 15 years.
The protesting faculties included professors and assistant professors of the institution, located in Neyvli township in Cuddalore.
R Raja Ram, Secretary, College Teachers Association, Jawahar Science College, alleged that the NLC management had been cheating them for over 15 years without giving UGC salaries and arrears.
The self-financing college comes under the jurisdiction of Vellore University.
Ram alleged the university had in 2010 ordered the NLC to give UGC salaries and arrears to the teachers, but the management had not done so.

Ram said that the root cause of the problem was that a committee headed by an NLC engineer, looking into the day-to- day affairs of the college, was giving "wrong information" to NLC without knowing the UGC rules.

He said that R Saroja, Professor and Head of Department of Economics of the College had submitted a petition to former Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal on April 4 in 2013 in this regard.
Though he had issued orders immediately to the effect to NLC, "nothing had materialised" till date, he claimed.
Ram said over 1,500 students also joined them today in a show of support and that NLC-authorised DMK and AIDMK Trade Unions were supporting their strike.

When contacted, Chief General Manager of NLC (Human Resources Department) N Balaji said the management was considering the demands.