Commute amid pandemic not just unsafe but costly too: Teachers

College teachers say the online classes can be held from home, too. Representation pic

Amid concerns of a second wave of COVID-19, college teachers are now demanding that they be allowed to work from home. The teachers' association has said that going to campus is an unnecessary danger when they can easily work from home and stay safe, as classes are being held online.

The Mumbai University College Teachers' Association (MUCTA) on Monday wrote to Maharashtra Higher and Technical Education Minister Uday Samant with their demand. This came a day after the chief minister reiterated the concerns about the increasing COVID-19 cases.

Professor Subhash Athavale, general secretary, MUCTA

"What college principals and management are doing is really wrong. They are still following the government's August guidelines, which stated that 10-15 percentage of work staff can report to work. But, a new guideline was issued in September wherein it was clarified that teachers should be called to colleges only for exam-related work. The guideline had also mentioned that if possible they should be allowed to work from home," said Professor Subhash Athavale, general secretary of MUCTA.

Also Read: Maharashtra: 100 per cent attendance for teaching staff rule revoked

He added that teachers are also stressed about commuting, especially because they are not allowed on local trains. "All the teachers, especially those living far away, are spending a lot of time and money on commuting, which has become a major burden at a time when their salaries have been slashed heavily. Moreover, there are chances of contracting the novel coronavirus during travel. They are going through all this trouble when work from home is easily possible," Athavale said.

Teachers say a September govt guideline had stated that if possible they should be allowed to work from home. Representation pic

Teachers have also sought the reason behind continuance of salary cuts when the colleges have taken full fees from students. The association has demanded action against college authorities which have not paid full salaries to teachers.

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