Pune: MIT World Peace University Staff Suspended Over Union Formation, Dharna Planned in Protest
Kothrud, 10th May 2023: Tensions rise at MIT World Peace University (WPU) as the administration has suspended 49 non-teaching staff members who dared to form a union in order to demand their rights aligned with the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commission.
In response, the employees plan to stage a dharna at the university entrance, seeking justice for their cause. The abrupt announcement of the suspensions, which took place on May 5, caught the 2,500 non-teaching staff members by surprise, as they were not given any prior notice.
Despite their pleas for a discussion on the matter, MIT WPU founders Vishwanath Karad and Rahul Karad have refused to engage with them, leaving them feeling ignored and dismissed.
The recently established union on the MIT campus proudly holds affiliations with esteemed organizations such as the All India College and University Employees Federation, Maharashtra State College Non-teaching Employees Federation, and Pune District Pune University College Non-teaching Employees Union. On May 2, the union members proudly inaugurated a signboard at the main entrance gate of MIT WPU.
However, those employees who took the initiative were promptly served show cause notices and subsequently suspended.
Sunil Vadavekar, a staff member of MIT WPU and secretary of Maaeers’ MIT WPU Employees Union, expressed the staff’s grievances, stating, “Over the span of fifteen long years, the dedicated non-teaching staff members have diligently poured their sweat and toil into their work, all while enduring meagre wages as their reward. They are entitled to the benefits of the Sixth and Seventh Pay Commissions as per UGC rules, and thus, have been rightfully demanding the same. We diligently acquired all the requisite permissions from the MIT WPU administration and other competent authorities, enabling us to establish the union. However, the registrar of MIT WPU issued suspension orders against me and others, claiming that the foundation of the employees’ union with external parties is illegal.”
Vadavekar vehemently denied these allegations and asserted that the suspension of 49 employees was a deliberate and targeted action. “We have served the university diligently for the past 15 years. As union office bearers, we sought a meeting to discuss our concerns, but unfortunately, the MIT WPU administration remained unresponsive. Therefore, we will stage a protest at the main entrance gate of the Kothrud campus,” he declared.
Ganesh Pokale, registrar of MIT WPU Kothrud, offered a different perspective, stating, “Some of the non-teaching staff members working in our university have aligned themselves with external, third-party trade unions. Additionally, they engaged in an illegal gathering on university premises on May 2 for undisclosed internal purposes. Their behaviour has been unruly, illegal, unpleasant, and highly reprehensible, creating an atmosphere of fear, suspicion, and terror among students, teachers, and fellow non-teaching staff. Consequently, our university’s reputation has been needlessly tarnished.”
In response, the university took appropriate legal action against what Pokale described as an “anti-institutional conspiracy” and misconduct by some of its employees. “In strict adherence to the university’s government-approved regulation 10(3), these employees have undergone lawful suspension from their duties, accompanied by a prohibition from accessing the premises for the duration of their suspension,” he confirmed.
Pokale emphasized that if any injustice has been done, it will be rectified and the employees will receive fair treatment. “If the investigation reveals any university officials involved in misusing the university’s logo, harassing or abusing staff members, strict legal action will be taken against them. The guilty employees will be immediately dismissed or suspended based on the recommendations or decisions of the inquiry committee constituted by the university,” he added.
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