Prottoy scheme: University teachers go on all-out strike from Monday

The teachers associations hope the government will soon accept their demands, a FBUTA official says

The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers’ Associations has declared an all-out work stoppage at public universities across the country on Monday as the government has not removed them from the ‘Prottoy Scheme’ of the universal pension system by the deadline.

Prof Nizamul Hoque Bhuiyan, the federation’s general secretary, announced the industrial action at a press conference in front of Dhaka University's Arts Building on Sunday afternoon.

In a written statement, he said, the FBUTA has been holding various peaceful programmes for more than three months demanding the withdrawal of the 'discriminatory' notification regarding pension.

"Since the notification in this regard was issued by the Ministry of Finance on Mar 13, 2024, peaceful protest programmes such as issuing statements, gathering public signatures, human chains, symbolic strikes, handing out memos and sit-in programs have been observed. Since no action was taken by the government over this period, a half-day strike was observed in universities on Jun 25, 26 and 27 and a full-day strike is being observed on Saturday, Jun 30. We will go on a complete strike from Monday.”

This teacher’s association leader hopes that the government will accept the demand soon.

"Otherwise, a complete strike will be observed in all public universities across the country from Jul 1 until the demands are met."

In March, the Ministry of Finance launched a package called the 'Prottoy Scheme' along with the previous four plans in the universal pension scheme.

It will include officers or employees joining all types of self-governing, autonomous, state-owned, statutory or homogeneous organisations and their subsidiary bodies on or after Jul 1, 2024.

The teachers' association claims that the scheme is 'discriminatory' and teachers appointed on and after Jul 1 will suffer financially.

The teachers are asking authorities to keep public universities out of the universal pension’s Prottoy Scheme.

The teachers are also demanding the restoration of the previous pension system, the inclusion of university professors in the ‘super’ grade, and a distinct pay scale for them.

The finance ministry introduced a new package called the Prottoy Scheme to the four existing schemes included in the Universal Pension Scheme.

According to this new scheme, all types of autonomous, semi-autonomous, state-owned, statutory, or similar organisations and their subsidiaries will be included in the universal pension system if they join after Jul 1, 2024.