A statement issued by NTUC with the signature of its President K.D. Lal Kanthe states, “The government, which has ignored giving a justifiable solution to the salaries issue of more than 4000 academicians serving in the university system in this country, is taking measures to suppress the trade union action taken yesterday by these academicians. While condemning the use of force by the government to suppress trade union struggles, we demand the government to immediately withdraw the circulars issued by the UGC against university academicians who took part in the token strike yesterday.  
 
It is the responsibility of the government to make available a reasonable salary for the working people in this country which the government ignores continuously. The salary issue of university academicians is more serious. For, the harm to the country through brain drain due to this issue is immeasurable. The university academicians engaged in a token strike yesterday as a response to the deceiving tactics of the government which had, on numerous occasions, made various promises. The media had reported that the Minister of Higher Education had, through the UGC, ordered that a day is deducted from any remaining leave of those who took part in the token strike. Using arbitrary force to suppress any struggle against it has become the general policy of the government. This is evident in this incident as well. We vehemently oppose this undemocratic and suppressive policy of the government and call upon the government not to use force to suppress justifiable struggles.”

(LT)