Medical teachers across state threaten stir over pending demands

Vadodara: Pressing for their long pending demands, medical teachers across Gujarat who are involved in Covid-19 duties have upped their ante.

The Gujarat Medical Teachers Association (GMTA) has threatened to go on strike from Monday. Simultaneously, contractually appointed medical teachers too have submitted a charter of demands.

GMTA’s central council meeting is scheduled on Wednesday. Nearly 1,700 tutors, assistant professors, associate professors and professors of six medical colleges of the state including 300 from Vadodara have threatened to hold protests and go on strike from May 10 if their demands are not met by then.

GMTA’s demands include regularization of salaries for ad hoc teachers. For regular faculty members, the association wants salaries to be regularized for the remainder of their service period. This must be done in a single order, the association in a representation to Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani has stated.

“The medical faculty trusted the government and hence did not take an aggressive stand. But the government has failed to look into our demands and hence it is now forced to give an ultimatum,” said GMTA Vadodara’s secretary Dr Beejaysinh Rathod.

Contractually appointed medical teachers on the other hand said that their gross salary is even less than senior residents and after tax deduction it becomes even lesser than first year residents.

They have demanded at least 40% raise in their current salary, appropriate sick leaves, earned leaves, maternity, paternity, academic leaves and regular conduction of Gujarat Public Service Commission (GPSC) so that contractually appointed medical teachers can come into GPSC pool.