TU lecturers staging relay hunger strike

Kirtipur, February 5

Lecturers affiliated to Baburam Bhattarai’s New Force Campaign have been staging relay hunger strike in front of the Tribhuvan University Vice Chancellor’s Office in Kirtipur demanding cancellation of the decision to give permanent status to contractual teachers through internal competition.

The lecturers have been staging relay hunger strike during office hours and only on working days since yesterday with their one-point demand.

TU, the country’s oldest and biggest university had published an advertisement a few months ago announcing internal competition for contractual teachers for permanent posts.

TU had published the advertisement in two phases for more than 1,200 permanent vacant posts of lecturers in five faculties.

Lecturer Kiran Prasad Adhikari, central campaigner for the New Force Campaign, said they were going to continue their relay hunger strike until the Service Commission fulfilled their demand. “We will stage fast-unto-death if our demand is not fulfilled ,” he warned.

He stated that TU was preparing to give permanent status to all teachers who were hired when Nepali Congress was in power.

He further claimed that giving permanent status to contractual teachers through internal competition was against the TU Act.

Adhikari said they had already drawn the attention of chairperson of TU Service Commission on January 11 regarding the matter.

Similarly, lecturer Ashok Thapa had lodged a complaint at Commission on the Investigation of Abuse of Authority on January 24 regarding this issue. “Golden handshake could be an option for temporary teachers who don’t want to participate in open competition with fresh graduates.

Otherwise, every teacher should participate in open competition for permanent status,” he said, adding, “This is the need of the hour.”