North-Eastern Hill University (NEHU) casual employees, under the umbrella of the All NEHU Workers’ Union (ANWU), have petitioned Governor, and the university’s Chief Rector, Satya Pal Malik over their grievances.
ANWU has been demanding regularisation of casual workers’ services. On April 29 the union had submitted a list of demands to Vice-Chancellor Prof PS Shukla and had served a 30-day deadline to the varsity authorities to regularise the casual workers who have been working in the university for over 10 years.
Casual workers in NEHU have been treated “as slaves and untouchables” and the university has resorted, ANWU told the Governor, to false promises in order to disrupt the union’s protests.
NEHU has 621 non-teaching staff vacancies but does not hire anyone to fill these positions, instead preferring to overwork the casual employees, ANWU claimed.
It added that if negotiations do not bear fruit within the next few days, it will recommence its hunger strike from July 1.
