Talks with pry teachers on pay scale soon: Govt

The government will sit with the assistant teachers of government primary schools soon over the demand to upgrade their pay scale, said Primary and Mass Education Minister Mostafizur Rahman on Tuesday, reports UNB.

"We've sought a list of teachers' representatives to initiate the talks," he said while talking to the news agency.

He, however, could not specify the date for the discussion, only saying, "We'll sit very soon."

Earlier on Monday evening, the teachers, who had been on an indefinite hunger strike since Saturday demanding a pay-scale upgrade, ended their strike upon assurance from the minister to meet their demand.

Bangladesh Primary Teachers' Grand Alliance organised the strike where eight different organisations of assistant primary teachers took part.

The agitated teachers said it was discriminatory and humiliating that they were paid under the 14th grade whereas a headmaster gets salary under the 11th grade.

They demanded that their salary be upgraded to the 12th grade. Nearly 47 teachers among some 1,000 ones fell in sick during the three days of hunger strike.