Almost two-thirds of public employees will lose out financially if time scales and selection grades are scrapped in accordance with the recommendations of the National Pay and Services Commission (NPSC), official sources said.
The second, third and fourth grade employees of just six big ministries – home, defence, primary and mass education, education, health and family planning, and public administration – amount to 65.41% of the total public workforce.
Two-thirds of public employees are at risk of decreased purchasing power if the proposals are implemented.
A report prepared by Finance Division officials using data from division-based IBAS revealed that the number of second, third and fourth class employees of the six major ministries – some 1.38 million personnel – is 65.41% of the government’s total workforce of 2.10 million employees.
The Finance Division report pointed out that it is difficult to get promotions under the existing employment and appointment rules. The NPSC has recommended the cancellation of time scales and selection grades under which public servants now get salary increments without being promoted.
The report said time scales and selection grades are currently the only means whereby third and fourth class employees can receive salary increases.
According to the data analysis, third and fourth grade employees of the Army, Navy, Air Force, police, Ansar, Border Guard Bangladesh, jail guards, fire services, schools and primary schools, health services, and transportation drivers will be negatively affected by the scrapping of time scales and selection grades because getting promotions is not very easy.
A Home Ministry employee said: “Those who are enjoying benefits will continue to get them but we will lose Tk8,000 per month from July if the NPSC recommendations are implemented from the beginning of the next fiscal year.”
Commission Chairman Mohammad Farashuddin, a former governor of Bangladesh Bank, yesterday announced the decision to scrap provisions for time scales and selection grades.
Most administrative cases filed at the courts by government employees are over disputes regarding time scales and selection grades, he said.
The last secretary committee meeting on Wednesday remained divided on the question of scrapping time scales and selection grades.
The committee noted that lower grade employees would suffer financially from the implementation of the proposal, meeting sources said.
The NPSC also recommended that government reduce the number of lower level employees to make the administration more efficient. The pay commission conducted three surveys among public servants to assess their perception of time scales and selection grades.
The report observed that the existing system of time scales and selection grades complicates the process of fixing salaries and leaves open scope for corruption.