COIMBATORE: Bharathiar University Employees Union on Monday held a slogan-raising demonstration and a sit-in protest against the university administration, alleging non-disbursal of Diwali festival advance to contract and temporary employees even as the festival draws near.Union general secretary M Rameshkumar said it submitted a representation to the university on Oct 13, seeking payment of a Rs 15,000 festival advance for workers ahead of Diwali. He said union representatives repeatedly pressed the registrar in person to release the amount.According to the union, the registrar had earlier said the advance would be paid after obtaining approval from the convener (higher education department secretary) on Oct 26, and that approval had also been obtained to form a committee to implement the Coimbatore collector’s minimum wage norms for the temporary employees.However, when union office-bearers met the registrar again on Oct 29, they were told that the higher education department secretary had not cleared the advance and had asked the university to seek finance committee approval, and that the issue could be reviewed after the finance committee meeting scheduled for Nov 3.The union alleged discriminatory treatment, saying a Rs 20,000 Diwali advance for permanent workers had already been approved and disbursed. With only five days left for Diwali, the response had shocked workers, it said, adding that protests would continue until the demand is met.The union sought intervention of the higher education department and the state govt, stating that the advance had been paid regularly in previous years and that last year’s payment was released only after protests.
