Public university teachers await decision of Cabinet committee tasked with removing ‘discrimination’

Public university teachers, who refrained from work to press for a separate pay scale and other demands, say they are waiting for the decision of a Cabinet committee tasked with removing discrimination in pay structure.

University teachers irk Muhith

8th national pay scale approved

But an organisation of public university teachers has warned of further agitations if the committee’s recommendation did not satisfy them.

 

Teachers of 37 public universities abstained from work on Tuesday, held processions and rallies, to press for their four-point charter of demand.

 

In the Seventh National Pay Scale, public universities’ selection grade professors were included in the top grade along with secretaries and major generals.

 

Senior professors were put in grade-2 and professors in grade-3.

 

However, the eighth pay scale, approved on Monday, does not separately mention the status of selection grade professors and it triggered demonstrations.

Cabinet Secretary Muhammad Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan had told reporters that several proposals were placed at Monday’s Cabinet meeting on behalf of university teachers.

He said it was not possible for the Cabinet to take a final decision instantly on the matter.

“The Cabinet committee on removing salary discrimination has been asked to evaluate the teachers’ proposals and make recommendations,” he had said.

But the assurance failed satisfy the public university teachers, who went ahead with their planned work abstention.

bdnews24.com university and district correspondents confirmed public university teachers across Bangladesh had stayed off work on Tuesday.

At a rally on the Dhaka University campus, University Teachers’ Association chief Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed said they were demonstrating for retaining their stature in the new pay structure.

He dubbed the Cabinet decision to look into their proposals “a victory”.

Ahmed urged the government to include teachers’ representatives in the committee.

“The government has made specific comments about the teachers’ stature and a committee has been tasked to handle the matter.

“We’re pinning our hopes on it,” said Ahmed, who is also the chief of the Dhaka University Teachers’ Association.