Staff Reporter :
The teachers of all public universities began an indefinite work abstention from Monday as the government is yet to meet their demands including removing the ‘discriminatory provisions’ in the eighth National Pay Scale.
Teachers of all 37 public universities all over the country observed the programme led by the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association (FBUTA).
FBUTA President Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed told The New Nation yesterday that the teachers are observing the
work abstention and they will continue it until the demands are met. He said all classes and examinations were halted due to the work abstention. The terminal examinations of Dhaka University students were taken only.
In Dhaka University, all classes and examinations have been boycotted. Only the terminal tests were out of purview of the strike in special consideration for the students.
Like the Dhaka University, no classes and examinations in public universities were held. Meanwhile, the leaders of FBUTA blamed the bureaucrats for undermining the teachers in the new pay scale. The bureaucrats have driven us to this agitation. For nine months, they have behaved like an upper caste and refused to give us what we deserve,” said Professor Farid Uddin Ahmed. “The bureaucrats are now suggesting 9am-5pm working hours for us. We are not clerks. We work for 24 hours,” he said.
He said that the teachers wanted to start their ‘cease work’ campaign from Jan 2, but delayed it as there was a Cabinet meeting on Jan 4. “But after that the Prime Minister discussed the matter with bureaucrats. And she was not briefed properly.”
He hoped, “The problem can be solved if we get five minutes with the Prime Minister.”
The FBUTA Vice-President and Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Teachers’ Association President Khandaker Shariful Islam said, “We had no choice but to follow a hard line.” All academic activities at BAU are currently suspended, he said. “This might cause session jam for the students and hamper their future. We urge the government to take prompt action.” The teachers have been adamant to continue their movement since May last year. Though the government formed a fresh pay scale for all civil servants in July, the teachers said it was discriminatory for them.
The Cabinet then approved the pay scale in September last year and it was gazetted in December last year.
Amid waves of widening protests, the government had formed a committee, headed by Finance Minister AMA Muhith, to look into the demands of the teachers. After discussing with the teachers on Dec 6 last year, Muhith had promised to fulfil three of their demands. But the teachers alleged that the pay scale’s gazette, published ten days after the meeting, did not reflect his pledge in any way.
With no end to the deadlock in sight, the FBUTA on Jan 2 announced that they would go on an indefinite strike from Jan 11 if their demands went unheeded. The Finance Ministry, in a statement clarifying the new pay scale, compared to different working hours of teachers and public servants and also pointed out that university teachers have the option to work outside their institutions.
The teachers are continuing their movement with a four-point charter that includes pay parity of senior professors and senior secretaries and between professors and secretaries.
They also want the provision of cars, foreign and government scholarships and other allowances for the teachers in equality to those offered for a bureaucrat.
