Himachal PET Union threatens hunger strike

New Delhi, Feb 15: A union of physical education teachers in Himachal Pradesh on Friday threatened to go on a hunger strike if the state does not fill 4,000 vacant posts in government schools.

The physical teachers' union has decided that if the government does not accept their demand in the upcoming cabinet meeting, they will go on a hunger strike. He said the proposed strike would continue till the government fulfils their needs.

Physical teachers' union vice-president Sandeep Ghai said, "Despite repeated demands, neither the department nor the government is doing anything. The unemployed trained physical education teachers have met with the chief minister, other cabinet ministers and officers several times."

Even memorandums have been submitted but nothing has been done so far except empty assurances, Mr. Ghai said.

He claimed that 4,000 posts of physical teachers have been lying vacant for the past two years. Trained teachers are unemployed but the government is neither worried about their unemployment nor filling up the pending vacancies, he said.