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Permalink Reply by raaga on June 11, 2014 at 21:18

Dear Abilash,

Institutions are same, but stipend varies. It shows that they don't have common norms and regulations for their trainees recruitment. We grumble silently but raising voice collectively never happens. Even the experienced professionals receive less than the stipend of what you had mentioned above. If I am not ready, some X or Y is ready to accept the same. You can't blame them too, they have their own financial constraints. 

Senior professionals who are in the position of decision making should come forward to represent our issues.  Just think of if its a metropolitan city like Chennai, still the situation becomes worst. Won't they ever think what an individual will do getting this salary and how can he grow professionally?  Only the higher authorities concern including head of the department should negotiate and help us. A good change in the mind of people who are in the chairs of authority to raise the stipend and true efforts to lift juniors by our own professionals can make it happen. 

with regards,

Raaga.

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Permalink Reply by Siddhartha Shankar Ray on June 13, 2014 at 21:37

Dear Sri Abilash Achuthan,

Thanks for your post.

Technically speaking, the three institutes you have mentioned are THREE DIFFERENT AND COMPLETELY INDIVIDUAL INSTITUTES. As I understand, none of the IIMs belong to any chain.

Besides, had they been under a single body (like CSIR/ICMR institutes where all institutes belong to and are governed by rules set by their parent bodies) still they have the power (autonomy) to fix these things as Government has no official rules regarding the rates of stipends (like Research Fellows).

As such, though what you have elicited and what Ms. Raga also corroborated, are examples of anomalies, one can not do anything under the present set-up.

I understand & I honestly believe that it should not be but this is a fact.

Here, as I believe, the Library Associations can (& should) effectively intervene. I have no idea however, whether any such moves have been taken up by any associations in this direction so far, but, as I personally feel, they should have act in this respect. I understand that many young professionals are becoming members of many library associations. I wonder why they are not raising their voice against it.

Certainly here should be minimum wage rules which the employers should abide by; but in case there is none, the employers are free to dictate terms and fix the remuneration.

Regarding, the Departmental Heads, why do you expect that they should involve themselves with such debatable issues?

I am telling you a bare fact, We, the seniors, many of whom are happen to be the Heads of our individual Libraries are by and large, quite cleaver (read cunning!) fellows and & it is also true that many among us have achieved their positions not by our talents only!!

As such how can you people expect that we will take any chance to fall in the bad books of our employers when we are getting nothing out of it?

Rather, if we can hire employees at lesser costs to the organizations, those will be our EFFICIENCY which we can show to our Bosses!! 

Incidentally, in many cases, we inherited this (dis) quality from many of OUR SENIORS!! (believe me, many of us were subjected to such treatments in our young days in the profession and some of us are carrying the same TRADITION that's all!!)

Sincerely,

Siddhartha S. Ray, Calcutta

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Permalink Reply by Abilash Achuthan on June 15, 2014 at 7:00

Dear Sir,

Thanks for the post,

Yes Sir, As mentioned above Library Associations must effectively intervene and fix it.

So far no Library Association has come forward to fix these things.

IIM Ahmedabad   14,000 (Trainee)

IIM Tirchy            12,000 (Trainee)

IIM Rohtak           10,000 (Trainee)

IIM Indore             10,000 (Trainee)

IIM Raipur             18,000 – 20,000 Jr Library Assistant (Contract)

IIM Kozhikode         8,000 – 10,000 (Library Assistant) (Contract)

One thing we should also note that, the cost for workshops is increasing year by year but trainees stipend remains the same.

 

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