Daily Times

KHAIRPUR: The Shah Abdul Latif University Teachers Association (SALUTA) associated teachers and employees on Wednesday held a token strike against university administration over non-payment of leave encashment and disbursement to teachers, officers and employees of the university.

The SALUTA general secretary Prof Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah addressed the protesting teachers and employees who had gathered in front of administration block.

“Shah Abdul Latif University (SALU) is the only university in Sindh which did not disburse leave encashment to its employees,” Mallah said while expressing grave concerns over the administration.

He further revealed that the teaching assistants, who have salary of Rs 12,000 per month, have not been paid salary for the month of May. He called it a worst example of bad governance and financial crisis in the history of the university.

Importantly, he requested the federal government and the Sindh government to increase the grant of SALU, so that the administration can pay salaries and leave encashment to the employees and teachers before Eid-ul-Fitr.

Employees Welfare Association Leader of Opposition Qalandar Bux Bozdar asserted that leave encashment is the right of employees.

He accused the office bearers of the association of possessing dual loyalties and not struggling for the rights of the employees effectively.

The SALUTA president Prof Dr Amir Ali Chandio said that the association has been striving for administrative improvements and mutual cooperation for betterment of financial governance of the university for the last eight months.

He denounced the university administration for committing massive financial corruption that even retired professors had not been paid pension funds which is considered an indicator of funds disbursement for other working employees and teachers.

He demanded an immediate release of leave encashment to all employees without any discrimination.

Chandio further announced that their struggle would accelerate after Eid holidays which would continue till the removal of registrar from his post who had been appointed against merit, rules and regulations of the university.

Contrarily, SALU spokesperson Dr Taj Lashari clarified that the salary of May 2018 has been paid to all teachers, officers, employees and teaching assistants.

He sternly rejected the allegations of teachers and employees regarding non-payment of salaries.

Moreover, he claimed that the leave encashment and other funds would be paid as soon as the funds are available to the administration.

“Teachers have attempted ‘a media trial’ of the institution and tried to malign and defame the institution into the public eye,” he alleged.

Furthermore, he refuted the accusations of corruption and bad governance and claimed that the administration is operating ‘smoothly’ according to rules and regulations.

Published in Daily Times, June 14^th 2018.