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They see the scheme as ‘discriminatory’
Published : 02 Jul 2024, 10:00 PM
The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association has vowed to continue their all-out strike and demonstration for the abolishment of Prottoy, rejecting the National Pension Authority’s clarification of the universal scheme.
The federation’s Secretary General Professor Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan made the announcement during a sit-in outside Dhaka University’s Arts Building on Tuesday.
The teachers will join the Sebak scheme when it is launched with benefits for everyone next year by cancelling the Prottoy scheme, according to Prof Nizamul.
“We’ll accept whatever happens to everyone in the country’s interest. But the Prottoy scheme must go,” he said.
He also raised the demand for the inclusion of the university teachers in the super grade and a separate pay scale for them.
The National Pension Authority has offered the protesting university teachers a pledge of security regarding the Prottoy’ scheme offered under the universal pension system.
In a message on Tuesday, the NPA said the teachers, officers and employees who joined the service before Jun 30, 2024, are not required to join the new scheme.
The Prottoy scheme was launched on the first day of the current financial year 2024-25 per a previous announcement.
The Prottoy scheme was introduced to provide a sustainable pension system for all personnel working at self-governing, autonomous and state-owned organisations and their subordinate bodies, the latest statement read.
There are 403 self-governing, autonomous and state-owned institutions in Bangladesh. As many as 90 of them offer a pension programme. The remaining institutions have contributory provident fund (CPF) programmes. The officers under the CPF programme receive an occasional gratuity but no pension.
According to Section 14(2) of the Public Pension Management Act, all officers in the service of state-owned, self-governing, autonomous, statutory or homogeneous organisations and their subordinate bodies; or employees on and after Jul 1 will be newly added to the Universal Pension Scheme. Finance Minister Abul Hasan Mahmood Ali also made the statement in his budget speech.
However, the teachers’ federation said the decision to add teachers to the Prottoy scheme is ‘discriminatory’ as the new system will cut 10 percent of their salary, unlike the existing pension system.
Both pensioners and their nominees get pensions for life but this facility will decrease if they are added to the new scheme. The Prottoy scheme also lacks allowances for treatment, two festivals and Pahela Baishakh. There is no increment in the scheme as well.
“Where were they until now?” Prof Nizamul asked in reaction to the NPA statement. “We have organised so many press conferences and issued statements, memorandums. The teachers would not have been so much aggrieved had they known the age limit was not changed. Now they [authority] have made some arrangements to slow down the movement.”
“We don’t trust the government officials. They made me take to the streets in 2015, but didn’t give us the super grade,” the teachers’ leader said, demanding a meeting with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
“We must be given the super grade, and we’ll check what benefits the Sebak scheme has when it is launched next year. We’ll take it if it is universal, not just a separate scheme.”
Prof Nizamul also assured the students of holding special classes to cover the losses caused by the strike.
