Himachal University employees, teachers hold protest over delay in salaries, demands for promotions
Employees protesting.
Shimla, March 4: The teachers and non-teaching staff of Himachal Pradesh University (HPU) organised a massive protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s office on Monday over the delayed salaries and unresolved promotion issues. The protest was organised jointly by the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Welfare Association (HPUTWA) and the Himachal Pradesh University Non-Teaching Employees Union, and saw a convergence of employees from these two categories in order to voice their common demands.
The employees also voiced heavy displeasure at the university administration’s handling of their pay and promotion issues, particularly pointing out that their salary had not been released until the 4th of the month. According to the protestors, this delay is unprecedented at the university, causing considerable stress for the employees. Demonstrators took to the streets, front and centre, demanding that the administration take immediate action to address their grievances.
Falling behind on Salary Payment — Violation of Employees Rights
The protest featured heated words as employees expressed anger about financial management at the university. Speaking on the occasion, Nitin Vyas, President of the Himachal Pradesh University Teachers Welfare Association (HPUTWA) said: “This is the first time in the history of the university when employees have not been given thier salaries by 4th of the month. It turns out this is a terrible situation for everyone relying on their salaries to be able to make a living.”
Vyas did note that although the university gets its monthly budget, the way the process has changed has caused problems. Referring to earlier periods when a budget allocation was made to universities for six-month periods, which made financial management easier, he said: But, the new arrangement requires the finance officer to seek funds for every month from the state government to disburse salaries. Vyas explained that this at the same time is cumbersome and takes away the rights of the employees, which further compounds the uncertainty on the financials.
“This government is ruling with dictatorship and this government is trampling over the rights of the employees and making their lives miserable,” Vyas said. His comments are a frustration of employees being ignored through legitimate complaints to the administration.
A united voice: teachers and non-teaching staff join together
Non-teaching staff also voiced their grievances, which were addressed by Rajesh Thakur, President, Himachal Pradesh University Non-Teaching Employees Union. Thakur took the university administration to task over the salaries issue, saying “We are all members of the same university family, but the dignity of the institution has been hurt today. It is inheretly vile that a salary, such as the basis of life, is being fought for the employees by marching on the streets.”
He also reiterated his stances on the issue, and suggested that the deferral of salaries had distressed employees and their families financially. Thakur’s comments were a poignant reminder of the deep frustration and anger that had been mounting among the staff, who felt unappreciated and disrespected at work despite their significant contributions to the university.
Besides, the university employee Prem Raj questioned the functioning of the university administration. Raj said, “It appears that senior administrative officers here have become insensitive towards the issues being faced by their own staff. How can an institution whose very essence is education deny basic needs to the people who work hard to keep it running?’
A Demand for Action: Prepare for Strike
Protestors also voiced frustrations with the university’s lack of accountability and transparency. One of the leading protestors, Dr. Jogendra Saklani, was unapologetic about his beliefs. He warned the administration that the movement was going to carry on until their demands were met. “We will not back down. We will not stop fighting until we get the salaries we are owed and the promotions we deserve,” said Saklani, explaining that the employees would continue the protest until they receive justice.
Several other leading members of the university community also took part in the protest. Suresh, a member of the Executive Court, and Naresh, an employee of the university, attended the march to show their displeasure with the current state of affairs. Joining the agitation was Dr. Ankush Bhardwaj, the General Secretary of HPUTWA, Dr. Ashok Bansal and PC Chandel, President Pensioner Union.
The leaders of said protest also made it crystal clear that if their demands were not met, the protest was really just about to escalate. In a strong statement, the protestors warned of an indefinite strike if the university administration did not release the salaries by March 5, 2025. “If the salary is not released till March 5, we will have no option but to intensify our movement. “The whole university will be out in the streets, and we will not stop until our demands are met,” wrote the protest leaders, warning them to take them seriously.
Background to the Protest
The protest is in response to overdue salaries and a problematic promotion system at the university. Delayed salaries, a “common problem” at Himachal Pradesh University, continue to be raised by employees. They say the financial mismanagement is imposing unnecessary strain and hardship on staff at the university, faculty and staff who are already confronting the pressures of increasing costs of living.
Furthermore, the promotion issue remains unresolved for many employees, especially those in the non-teaching staff category. However, for many employees who have close to served this long, it also often results, after the correct promotions and pay rises, in dissatisfaction and frustration.
An Alarm Bell for University Administration
The protest outside the Vice Chancellor’s office, it has been claimed, is a wake-up call to the university administration who are now facing the wrath of more dissociated staff. The delay in the salaries alongside promotion backlog will soon be a very big crisis and it will paralyse the working of the institution.
The protestors are clear that the strike is not only about salary, but about the respect of the university’s employees. The university recognizes the dedication and hard work that all staff members put towards not only the university’s daily operation, but also to its reputation as a leading educational institution in the area.
The protest is also emblematic of a deepening rift between the administration and the university’s employees that has only intensified in recent months. However likely there for the university administration to need to take swift and effective measures on the part of the university to proactively prevent both the grievances and the formations of protests.
A Future of Uncertainty
The pressure is on prior to the university to fix the issue as the payment window for salaries nears the deadline. If the demand of the teaching and non-teaching staff is not met, the future of Himachal Pradesh University seems doomed, with a complete strike promised in the event that this issue is not resolved.
But for now the employees are true to their grit, and only time will tell how the university administration reacts in this evolving crisis. This protest serves as a reminder of the importance of university staff in keeping an institution functioning and highlights the need for fair treatment and recognition of staff efforts.
Continuing the achievement of the journey of effectiveness and credibility of more than 10 years in the career of journalism, as a woman journalist, I am Serving as the founder, promoter and editor of DiaryTimes with the trust and support of all. My credible coverage may not have given a big shape to the numbers, but my journey presents articles that make you aware of the exact and meaningful situations of Himachal’s politics, ground issues related to the public, business, tourism and the difficult geographical conditions of the state and financial awareness. DiaryTimes, full of the experience of my precise editorial expertise, is awakening the flame of credible journalism among all of you, so that the eternal flame of meaningful change can be lit in the life of the people of the state and the atrocities being committed against the people can be brought to the fore, I am motivated for that. If even a small change comes with the power of my journalism and the whole world becomes a witness to that issues, then I will consider myself fortunate.
