Sat May 03 08:53:17 UTC 2025: ## Coimbatore University Staff Protest Unpaid Salaries
**COIMBATORE, May 3, 2025** – Around 350 non-teaching staff at Bharathiar University in Coimbatore are protesting unpaid salaries dating back to the beginning of the year. The affected workers, employed under daily wage and consolidated pay systems, claim they have not received their monthly wages (ranging from ₹18,000 to ₹23,000) since January 2025.
The university’s delay is attributed to the absence of a Vice-Chancellor and the subsequent need for the Higher Education Secretary to approve the staff reappointments. M. Ramesh Kumar, secretary of the Bharathiar Palkalaikazhagam Panialargal Nala Sangam, stated that the Secretary is overwhelmed managing multiple universities currently without Vice-Chancellors, causing a backlog in approvals.
The staff, including sweepers, drivers, and office assistants, staged a protest on Labour Day, May 1st, to highlight their plight. Compounding the issue, these temporary staff have also been denied benefits such as Employees State Insurance and Provident Fund, and have not received payments according to the Minimum Wage Act since 2022-23.
While the university claims the files for salary disbursement have been approved and funds released, the staff remain unpaid. The university’s assertion that the Higher Education Department is scrutinizing staff eligibility is met with skepticism by the protesting workers, who emphasize that salary withholding is unprecedented. The situation underscores the challenges faced by temporary staff in India’s higher education system.
First Piper 