Breaking the deadlock over the new pay scale

Abdus Sattar Molla | Published: January 09, 2016 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00

Salary of the state employees are paid under some predetermined grades in a scale. In independent Bangladesh, the first pay scale was prepared and implemented in 1973. Later, it got revised six times (in 1977, 1985, 1991, 1997, 2005 and 2009) and the 7th revision was done in 2015. Thus, the new one is the 8th national pay scale.
Every time the pay scale is revised -- invariably with a pay-hike -- the employees usually express happiness. But this year is an exception. Just after the pay commission report was published, some public university teachers started expressing concern through writing, demonstration, work abstention etc. Following the review report of the committee of secretaries, 26 out of 28 BCS cadres declared programmes including work abstention and demonstration demanding further revision of the proposed pay scale. Primary and secondary school teachers also strongly expressed their grievances. After publication of gazette of the 8th pay scale on 15.12.2015, the public university teachers, 26 BCS cadre associations and some employees' organisations declared fresh programmes against discriminations in the pay structure.
Why the pay scale made most employees unhappy this time is a big question. The cause lies mainly in two sets of changes. The first one is the proposal of abolishing selection grade and time scale both of which the employees have been receiving for decades. By abolishing selection grade and time scale, the pay commission tried to compensate by way of proposing a somewhat higher yearly increment rate. The second major change in the grades of the 8th pay scale was made by the review committee consisting of the Secretaries. This committee made two 'super grades' for themselves above grade-1 of the 20-grade scale. Number-1 of the 'super grades' is for the cabinet secretary and the principal secretary to the Prime Minister, and number-2 super grade is for the 'Senior Secretaries'.
The pay commission consisting of 17 members is chaired by Dr. Mohammed Farashuddin, former Governor of Bangladesh Bank and the founder Vice Chancellor of East West University. How did a highly educated man of Dr. Farashuddin's stature forget that 'conventions are much stronger than rules'? The respected members of the commission must also recall the British litterateur Sampson's words on the importance of tradition in art. He wrote, "An artist of the first rank accepts tradition and enriches it; an artist of the lower rank accepts tradition and repeats it; an artist of the lowest rank rejects tradition and strives for originality." What level of 'artistic' process did the commission follow in the proposed the new pay scale?
The pay commission's disregarding the conventions and trying to 'invent' a new method of compensating the conventional system amounts to "reinventing the wheel" which is prohibited in research. It is known that the idea of a symmetrical component moving in a circular motion on an axis, i.e., wheel hit human brain about 5000 years ago in Mesopotamia (part of modern Iraq) in 3500 BC. The first use of the wheels for transportation was in the same region in 3200 BC. Later, other versions of the wheel were developed and used in Europe and later in other regions including the Americas. Now, nobody is required to reinvent the wheel because it was invented thousands years back. The main purpose of research is to create new knowledge, not repeating the process of preparing already known things. That is why, the term "reinventing the wheel" is used for duplicating earlier discovery/ invention in the name of research; hence it is forbidden in genuine research. It is an irony that our last pay commission has resorted to "reinventing the wheel"!      
The university teachers and members of all the 26 BCS cadres understand well that if they are deprived of the selection grade, salaries of their terminal posts might fall three to six grades below the grade a number-1 supergrader administration cadre member. Once the timescale is abolished, all cadre and non-cadre employees will be deprived. That is, their dissent is based on sound understanding, not on 'ignorance' as the respected Finance Minister (FM) claimed.  
The administration cadre enjoys privilege over others traditionally, and under the present circumstances, they are more privileged than ever. The review committee consisting of administration cadre members used their privileged position this time for self-glorification. The Secretaries are obviously very intelligent. Intelligence is known to be a blessing from God. The blessed ones can use this blessing wisely/unwisely. If this 'gift of God' is used unwisely (craftily?), it turns into a blemish. The secretaries used intelligence this time for discrimination amongst most employees of the republic; even the revered national professors were placed below 'supergrade-1'!   
As revealed in an interview of Dr. Farashuddin published in a daily on October 12, pay scales proposed by commissions in other countries are reviewed and finalised by the Cabinet, not by any secretarial committee. Since the secretaries are appointed from cadre services, they constitute a party among other cadre and non-cadre employees. Getting the scale reviewed by this party is not morally correct.
Anyway, various cadre and non-cadre employees may quarrel with each other regarding their pay and privileges, but the government consisting of the people's representatives must contain them and do justice to all. Before drafting the pay scale gazette, the respected FM stated to 26 cadre leaders that both selection grade and time scale might be retained. But the gazette, unfortunately, nullified both. That is why, the aggrieved parties are on the street again! Now the question is: should the government and most of the state employees be held hostage to the few Secretaries' self-promotional intent? The benevolent government must rise to the occasion and work for minimising the disparity. This would help establish equity and solidarity among all employees of the republic.
Dr. Abdus Sattar Molla, an education researcher, is a member of BCS
Education Cadre.
 asmolla@ymail.com