KARACHI: Frustrated over non-payment of leave encashment at Karachi University (KU) this year, its non-teaching staff held a general body meeting on Thursday where they announced a three-day pen down strike from tomorrow (Friday).

The meeting, held in KU’s Arts Auditorium, was followed by a series of demonstrations, sit-ins and rallies on the campus.

Interestingly, sources said, the well-attended meeting had no elected representation of the non-teaching staffers, which numbered more than 2,500 at the university

The KU administration this year, they said, hadn’t released leave encashment to any employees, including teachers, on the ground that the university was facing a financial crisis, particularly after the Higher Education Commission deducted a huge sum from the university’s allocated funds.

Protesters say their rallies, sit-ins for leave encashment have gone unnoticed so far

“The general body meeting was successful in terms of numerical representation of the non-teaching staffers despite their infightings and the consensus that emerged in the end,” a senior KU teacher told Dawn, adding that the non-teaching staff also had the moral support of Karachi University Teachers’ Society (Kuts).

“But, the society at this stage can’t afford to extend its official support to the non-teaching staff as it’s holding dialogues over the matter with the vice chancellor,” he said.

Sources said KU’s non-teaching staffers were divided in several groups, often without any elected representation. One group was reportedly holding meetings with the vice chancellor over the issue.

“We have been holding protests in favour of leave encashment in front of the administration block for weeks before taking the decision to have a complete strike today,” said Tariq Shah, one of the attendees of Thursday’s general body meeting.

The staff approached the vice chancellor’s office several times but his secretary didn’t set an appointment for a meeting, he complained.

Sharing details of the meeting, he said three options were presented before the participants and they chose to go on a three-day pen down strike.

“One option was to go on a mutual month-long leave and the other was to go on an indefinite strike, while continuing with the sit-in outside the administration block.

“If nothing comes out of our three-day strike, we will hold another general body meeting next week and take a decision,” Mr Tariq said, emphasising that the non-teaching staff were apolitical and their objective was to alleviate people’s financial sufferings.

The protesters, he said, would be holding a meeting with Kuts on Friday.

“Look at the pace of inflation. The prices of all basic commodities have risen to a point that poor families’ very survival is now at risk. Leave encashment is our legal right and the vice chancellor can’t deprive us of this,” another participant shared on condition of anonymity, adding that it’s the second time in five years that the staff had been refused leave encashment.

The university administration, he complained, had deprived the non-teaching staff to have medical treatment at reputed hospitals.

He rejected reports about closing down of the transport service for students or a boycott of the upcoming BA examination in protest.

“Our protest is peaceful. We won’t use force as means to build up pressure on the administration. If we couldn’t get a positive response, then we will decide our future strategy with consensus next week.”

The vice chancellor was not available for comment.

Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2023