PM resents public varsity teachers� stir
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has expressed annoyance over the announcement of a fresh movement by teachers of public universities, demanding elimination of discrimination in the 8th National Pay Scale.
During the Mondays cabinet meeting, held at the secretariat, the Premier said she could not understand why university teachers are demanding salary and status at par with government secretaries.
We can raise the salaries and status of the varsity teachers like those of the secretaries, if they agree to work like the secretaries from morning till evening and reduce their retirement age from 65 years to 59, a minister told this correspondent after the cabinet meeting, quoting Sheikh Hasina.
The teachers can work part-time in different universities and some teachers are also busy with consultancy in different projects. After the 8th National Pay Scale, their salaries have almost doubled. Even after this, they (teachers) are demanding salary and status equal to those of the secretaries, the minister further said quoting the PM.
At the cabinet meeting, education minister Nurul Islam Nahid told the Premier about the fresh movement of the public university teachers.
We held a fruitful meeting recently with leaders of university teachers and they also agreed to accept our decision. But the finance ministry did not follow the meetings decision in the circular issued by the finance ministry, Nahid informed the PM.
After hearing Nahid, the PM asked the cabinet secretary to hold a meeting with the secretaries, particularly the principal secretary, finance secretary and senior secretary of the public administration ministry, to resolve the matter immediately.
When contacted, a secretary who met the Premier declined to make any comment in this regard.
On January 2, public university teachers declared that they would abstain from work for an indefinite period from January 11.
Meanwhile, the finance ministry yesterday said that it would take necessary steps for the public university teachers once it gets specific proposals from the education ministry.
In a press release issued on the National Pay Scale-2015, the finance ministry said that the education ministry is working as per the governments directives to provide grade-1 and grade-2 posts for the public university teachers.
