After promises made by D.K. Shivakumar, Deputy Chief Minister and the Minster of Bengaluru Development, to fulfill some of their demands, guest teachers of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) schools temporarily withdrew their indefinite strike after four days on Friday.
The representatives of BBMP Schools’ Guest Teachers’ Association led by former MLC Puttanna met with Mr. Shivakumar late on Thursday night. Their demands include that no guest teachers should be dropped from work and remuneration should not be reduced for any reason after the merger of the BBMP schools with the Department of School Education and Literacy, equal pay for equal work and appointment through the BBMP.
Sources said that the Dy.CM had promised to fulfil all other demands except for regularization of services and requested them to withdraw the strike for the sake of the children’s future, after which the guest teachers temporarily called off the strike and attended classes on Friday.
“The Dy.CM’s assurances have brought relief. However, we have demanded that the assurance be given in written form. If the government does not give assurance in written form, we will start an indefinite strike again,” a guest teacher told The Hindu.
