The local unit of the Punjab and Chandigarh College Teachers’ Union (PCCTU), in response to the nationwide call given by the All India Federation of University and College Teachers’ Organisations (AIFUCTO), has called for a united stand against the Central Government’s policies on the extension of UGC pay scales, regularisation and other core issues.The local units in the city’s colleges have been holding two-hour sit-in protests against the Central Government on major issues concerning teachers, including a uniform retirement age of 65 years; the extension of UGC pay scales and service conditions to teachers working in Grant-in-Aid institutions; the regularisation of guest and ad hoc teachers; the immediate release of the Central Government’s 50 per cent share of the 7th pay revision outlay to the state governments; and the protection of public education from privatisation and commercialisation.In a recent two-hour dharna held at DAV College, Hathi Gate, Vikas Bhardwaj, President of the local unit of PCCTU, called upon teachers to remain united and strengthen the organisation so that the genuine rights and aspirations of teachers could be achieved through collective action.BB Yadav, general secretary, PCCTU, emphasised that the primary responsibility of PCCTU is to secure the genuine demands of teachers through unity, democratic struggle, and collective efforts. “We will continue with sit-in protests across all the colleges until the government agrees to listen to our demands,” he said.