Srinagar, Mar 21:The Jammu and Kashmir Vocational Trainers Welfare Association protested here today, demanding a pay hike and a job policy.

The Teachers gathered at Press Enclave here and lodged their protest against the dilly-dallying tactics of the government in framing a comprehensive job policy for them as well as no enhancement in their wages.

Protesting teachers resorted to vociferous sloganeering in support of their demands. They demanded a salary hike and a job policy for them. “The government promised us a job policy in our favour, but nothing has happened so far,” a female teacher said.

“If others state governments could frame a job policy for vocational teachers then what is stopping J&K government to draft a policy for such teachers working here,” she added.

The teachers said that their counterparts in other states are getting a good salary and they too are demanding a hiked salary on the same pattern.

They claim that despite working harder than general line teachers for last more than six years, the government has failed to create a job policy for them.

“Apart from teaching, we also have to arrange guest lectures and other things,” a teacher said, adding that the Government is paying them less than general teachers whose job is limited to teaching. The protesting teachers said that their repeated pleas fell to deaf ears as government has failed to come up with a job policy for them or announce a hike in their salaries.

The protesting teachers said that they have even met the government officials, advisors, to LG and have put their demands before them. “Our repeated pleas fell to deaf ears, they said.

The protesting teachers have urged the administration to look into the matter and enhance their salaries and implement proper job policies in their favor.

It is pertinent to mention here that these Vocational Teachers were recruited in the year 2016 under Rashtriya Madhyamik Shiksha Abhiyan (RMSA), now known as Samagra Shiksha. The salaries are constant since then and there has been no enhancement.