Teachers at public universities around the country are set to observe work abstention from tomorrow for an indefinite period to press home their demand for a review of the new pay scale to include selection grade and resolve salary discrimination.
Teachers of all 37 state-run universities have vowed to refrain from all academic and administrative work until their demands are met by the government, according to a statement by the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Association (FBUTA).
The protesters claimed that they are now compelled to go for such tough movement.
“For the last nine months, we have been demonstrating peacefully and without hampering the students’ academic progress. Yet, we have not received any positive response to our demands from the government,” said FBUTA Secretary General Prof ASM Maksud Kamal.
“Some government officials, including the finance minister, are conspiring against public university teachers. We have no other options left but indefinite work abstention.”
Shafiul Alam Bhuiyan, executive member of Dhaka University Teachers’ Association (DUTA), criticised Finance Minister AMA Muhith’s stance in this matter, terming his attitude stubborn.
He hoped that the government would take initiative before the teachers launched the demonstration tomorrow.
Earlier on January 5, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed secretaries of the ministries concerned to examine the new pay scale’s “discriminatory provisions” involving different sections of professionals, including public university teachers, and take steps accordingly to resolve the dispute.
The teachers have been protesting the recently implemented Eighth National Pay Scale since May 2014, advocating their four-point charter of demand that includes formation of a commission to initiate an independent pay scale for public university teachers.
Their four-point demand also include the immediate revision of the national pay scale, keeping senior professors and senior secretaries of the government at an equal level of payment.
The teachers have been alleging that the new pay scale ensures more facilities for the secretaries and government officials but less for teachers.
The salary of the teachers in the new pay scale remains two steps below that of the secretaries, which is not only discriminatory but also humiliating for them, the teachers claim.
Last week, teachers observed sit-in programmes wearing black badges on their respective campuses every day from January 3 to January 7 and and observed work abstention from 11am to 1pm on January 7.
