‘Pay disparity’: University teachers to meet tomorrow

The Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association (FBUTA) will hold a general meeting tomorrow at Dhaka University Teacher's Club for  reviewing the progress in fulfilling their demands over 'pay disparity' in the eight national pay scale.

Public university teachers returned to the classes on January 20, ending their indefinite work abstention that they had begun on January 11 to press home their demand following assurance of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to look into their demands.

On January 18, the teachers held a meeting with the premier over their demands.

"After reviewing the progress in meeting our demands, we will set our next course of action at the meeting," FBUTA President Prof Farid Uddin Ahmed told The Daily Star.

While questioning about the visible progress, he said," Though government is friendly about our demands, some secretaries continue to create barriers towards realising our demands." 

FBUTA earlier placed a package proposal to the education ministry in January which suggested that 25 percent professors should be given grade 1 status while 5 percent should be recognised as distinguished professors whose salaries and status would be equivalent to senior secretaries.

Public university teachers have been protesting the eighth pay scale since May last year, pressing for a four-point charter of demand, including removal of the discrepancies in the pay scale.

Things turned worse after the government issued a gazette on the pay scale on December 15. Frustrated with the pay scale for not having time scale and selection grade, teachers of all 37 public universities began an indefinite strike on January 11.