Public varsity teachers threaten to wage movement from Sept

Public university teachers threatened on Sunday to go for tough movement from next month if they do not have a separate pay-scale.  
"We want a separate pay-scale. If our demand is not fulfilled by the current month, then we will go for tough movement from September," President of Dhaka University Teachers Association Farid Uddin Ahmed told the FE.  
"If no progress is made on Monday's (today August 17, 2015) cabinet meeting about our pay-scale, then we will abstain from work for the whole day on August 23," he said after observing three hours' demonstration on Dhaka University campus.
He said they will observe some programmes some time (different dates) in the current month for fulfilling their demand.
Mr Ahmed, who is also the president of Bangladesh Federation of University Teachers Association, said the agitation was held in 38 universities across the country on the day (Sunday).
More than 700 signatures were collected and teachers of all political orientations joined the rally pressing for their demands.
They demanded that selection-grade professors be paid the same salary, allowance, benefits and status as senior-level secretaries.
The current salary structure puts university teachers in the same grade with the secretaries and major generals, but the proposed one lowers the pay of the teachers three to four tiers below them.
Teachers of different universities have been protesting against this for quite some time now and demanding a review of the proposed structure.
They also want a separate pay-scale for them and a review of the proposed 8th national pay scale.
On May 13, 2015 a secretary-level committee evaluated the Bangladesh Pay and Services Commission's recommendations and suggested that the top basic pay be fixed at Tk 75,000 and the minimum at Tk 8,250.
The government said that the new pay-scale will be effective from July 1 this year. But it is yet to be finalised.
    talhabinhabib@yahoo.com