Kathmandu: The library unit of the Tribhuvan University Workers’ Union has padlocked the central library to protest the move of professors’ unions to padlock the Tribhuvan University (TU) central office.

The nation’s biggest library was padlocked on Friday for an unspecified period of time. All administrative work has been halted due to the padlock in the Tribhuvan Central Department Office.

The library staff committee has demanded that the deadlock at the university end soon. They have also asked the professors’ unions to look for other means of protest against the appointment of university officials. “The stalemate has hit hard all the staff whose life completely depends on the salary they draw,” a press statement issued by the president of the library union, Mitha Ram Dhakal, said.

“The protracted strike has created a shortage of library cards and other urgent materials like bill pads and stationery. The telephone line has been disconnected as the department failed pay the bills,” the statement said. According to one library staff, the employees have not been able to pay dues even at the canteen. Dhakal appealed to the professors’ unions to resolve the row through other means.

The professors’ unions went up in arms after the government recently appointed high level officials, including the Vice Chancellor, at the TU.

Students on the other hand have accused the government of turning a blind eye to the problem.

“It is ridiculous that library staffers have opted for the same means opted by the professors for their demand to be heard. Both the government and the professors are to blame for the situation,” said Saroj Chaudhary, an MBS 2nd year student at the Economics Department.

“The deadline for the submission of the thesis is nearing and we are totally dependant on the central library for reference materials,” said Sundar Bhatta of the Education Department.

According to library staffers, they have not been paid for the past two months and that they are worried about how to celebrate the upcoming festivals.

sourse: The Kathmandu Post, 13 September 2011