Teachers at the sit-in on Monday. (Gopal Senapati)

Classes have been disrupted at a school in Belur in Howrah since last Thursday with teachers holding a sit-in on campus.

Seventy-two teachers of Sunrise English Medium School at 9 Tarachand Ganguly Street were protesting the management’s delay in implementing the recommendations of the Fifth Pay Commission, which had hiked teachers’ salaries.

On Friday, the teachers held a night-long demonstration and resumed their agitation when the school reopened on Monday.

Bishwanath Banerjee, an unofficial spokesperson for the teachers, said: “The school authorities sent notices to the students’ parents on April 17 and 29 stating that fees would be hiked because of the Fifth Pay Commission’s recommendations. The teachers were not consulted before the notices were sent nor have our salaries been revised after the fee hike.”

The teachers said they hadn’t received their salaries this month. “We are paid just 20 per cent of our DA,” alleged one teacher.

School principal Sunita Srivastava said: “Though we increased the school fees, parents and guardians are yet to start paying fees according to the revised structure. Thus we are unable to hike the teachers’ salaries.”

About the delay in paying the teachers for the month of May, she said the school was facing a funds crunch and the teachers would be paid soon.

“But if the teachers continue to protest, we will have no option but to close down the school,” she said.

The co-educational school, affiliated to the Central Board of Secondary Education, has around 2,200 students in classes I to XII. Since Thursday, some management staff have been taking a few classes but the children have been mostly sitting idle in classrooms.