Medical teachers gear up to protest against salary cut

Ahmedabad: Faculty members from six government colleges and eight GMERS colleges are planning a massive ‘Maha Rally’ next month to protest the reduction of their salaries.

“The salary cuts for professors range from Rs 25,000 to Rs 96,000 per month. The government gave dearness allowance for about five months and decided to withdraw it, and recover the money paid from the salaries of professors,” said Dr Rajnish Patel, president, Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA).

The Maha Rally will be held on December 4 to press their demands, he said.

The pay cuts have affected some 3,000 faculty members, including 360 professors at BJ Medical College.

Members of GMTA have already begun protests and plan to intensify their stir. Apart from the Maha Rally, they have planned Ram dhuns, blood donation camps and rallies at six government medical colleges, where they are expected to be joined by GMERS doctors and medical officers from every district.

A few months ago, GMTS members called off their strike when they were assured by the state government that their demands would be addressed. The demands of GMTS members included higher non-practising allowance in line with the Seventh Pay Commission recommendations. Another demand was regarding abolition of contract appointments.

As medical college teachers are barred from private practice, an allowance is paid to them as compensation.

GMTA had also demanded that medical college teachers be allowed to start private practice after 10 years of regular service. Citing a government resolution of 2017, GMTA also sought an increase in the cap on the maximum monthly salary. Promotions of many faculty members at GMERS colleges have also been pending for a long time. “We called off our protest after we were promised that our demands would be met. The government has gone back on its word, giving us a pay cut instead. We will continue our protest till our demands are fulfilled,” said Patel.