OU VC appeals Non-Teaching Contract staff to call off strike

Hyderabad : Urging the striking Non Teaching Contract Employees to wait for the report of the Government Committee on rationalization of non teaching workforce in the State Universities, Osmania University Vice-Chancellor Prof. S. Ramachandram called upon them to resume duties immediately as absenteeism is hampering work in the University.

The Vice Chancellor said that the University was always pro-employee and has always protected their interests. It was unfortunate that the employees have gone on strike for the past 10 days. He said that the non-teaching staff of Osmania University has better service conditions and remuneration than their counterparts in other Universities in the State. He revealed that after he took over as Vice Chancellor, responding to their representation, he had enhanced the remuneration, as one time measure, by 20 percent in addition to the 15 per cent annual increment in vogue.

He regretted the move by the staff at a time when the Prof. T.Tirupathi Rao committee was seized of the matter and was examining the rationalization of non teaching staff in Universities across the State. The committee is yet to submit its report. Employees could have waited for the report and then appealed for any further grievances, he pointed out.

Stating that the stir has impacted academic activity, the Vice-Chancellor said that further absenteeism would be viewed seriously by the administration. If things fail to improve, the administration would not hesitate to initiate disciplinary action, he emphasized.