Respite in the horizon for private schoolteachers

Mou Chakraborty
Kolkata, November 19
The days of agony for teachers belonging to private schools in Bengal may soon come to an end. The Union labour ministry in its ‘workmen’ list would soon include schoolteachers.
The Union labour minister Oscar Fernandez during his visit to Kolkata on November 18 assured the workwomen’s forum of the All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC) that schoolteachers would soon be included in the list of ‘workmen’. After speaking to the minister, Leena Chatterjee, general secretary of Forum for Teaching and Non Teaching Staffs of Private School of West Bengal said, “The minister informed us that the Central government has initiated the process of including the schoolteacher in the labour ministry’s list of ‘workmen’. The ministry has also simultaneously initiated the process of making all school teachers entitled to gratuity.”
Teachers belonging to private schools in Bengal are currently fighting against various injustices meted out by their employers, which include not offering the salary mentioned in the appointment letter, refusing the teachers’ casual and medical leave, forcing them to work more, denying them maternity leave and above all terminating them without notice when ever the management wishes to do so.
If the aggrieved were brought under the privy of the labour ministry, then it would be a big boost for them to raise their voice against the injustice. The teachers will be covered by the Industrial Dispute Act in case they have any problem with their employers. “If this is done teachers will be able to approach the labour directorate and the matter can be raised at the labour commission or the labour tribunal. The biggest win will be that the teachers will now have protection according to law,” Chatterjee said.
Another big problem teachers face that can be solved by their inclusion in the workmen list is their entitlement to maternity leave. Currently, as per state government rules, a teacher is entitled for 4 months maternity leave. The Central government is also working towards revising the maternity leave Act and extend it to six months. “Contractual teachers of various reputed ICSE and CBSE board affiliated schools in the state are asked to leave the job when they ask for maternity leave. Why will this happen? We will approach the ministry concerned to ensure that the government sees to it that such discrimination is not carried on,” the general secretary of the forum said.
Only permanent teachers of private schools are entitled to maternity leave. But it has been seen that schools stay away from recruiting permanent teachers when others retire and fill up the vacancies with contractual teachers. According to Chatterjee, a day might come when no teacher in a school would be eligible for maternity leave since they are on contract. “It is sad that though the non teaching staff in the schools are covered by labour laws and can have legal cover if they are not given maternity leave, in the case of the teachers it is not the same,” she added.
The West Bengal government too is aware of the of the conditions of private schoolteachers and had initiated the process of ensuring that they are given proper appointment letters, paid the salary promised and entitled to leaves like other employees. But that law is yet to take final shape and in such a scenario teachers feel the new development will help them to fight for their rights.
Mou.Chakraborty@hindustantimes.com