Chittagong University Teachers’ Association (Cuta) started a week-long work abstention yesterday protesting the 8th national pay scale.
They boycotted the classes and administrative activities demanding review of the 8th national pay scale what they called discriminatory for the university teachers.
Sources at the university said no class was held during the demonstration. The scheduled examinations were also held in time at the first day of the programme.
The per-scheduled examination, however, will remain out of the programme.
Professor Dr Kazi SM Khashrul Alam Quddusi, general secretary of Cuta, said “According to the Cuta decision, the teachers boycotted the classes and administrative works.”
“We also have expressed solidarity with the agitation programme lunched by Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA) from January, 11,” he said.
“No class will held during the work abstention scheduled for January 03 to January 9 while examination will remain out of the programme”, Prof Quddusi added.
Wearing black badge, the teachers refrained from their classes and gathered at Cuta office during class hours while the presence of the students were thin, said CU sources.
Cuta demanded a fresh pay structure restoring selection grade, time scale, and salaries for a certain percentage of the university professors that is equal to that of the senior secretaries, and all assured promises made by high-ups of the government to public universities.
FBUTA made an announcement to wage indefinite strike from January 11 while Cuta will also join in it if the demands of the teachers were not released immediately.
When contacted, Professor Sudip Kimar Pal, general secretary of Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology (CUET) Teachers Association, said: “The agitation programme of CUET teachers will be observed as per the FBUTA schedule.”
Soon after publishing the proposed pay scale, Cuta has been observing several protest programmes since last year including holding press conference, formation of human chain, abstention for work.