Univ teachers to carry on strike today

Public university teachers will continue their work stoppage today as their meeting with the government representatives yesterday failed to yield any decision regarding the pension facilities.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting at the Awami League president's Dhanmondi office in the capital, Road Transport and Bridges Minister Obaidul Quader said the teacher leaders were yet to make a final decision on withdrawing their strike.

Prof Abdur Rahim, joint secretary general of the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers' Association (FBUTA), said, "Our movement will continue tomorrow [today]."

There was a confusion that the "Prottoy" pension scheme will be effective from July this year, but in fact it would be in force from July next year.

Obaidul Quader Road transport and bridges minister

Teachers from over 35 public universities under the FBUTA have been abstaining from work since July 1, protesting the introduction of the "Prottoy" pension scheme. They also demanded the inclusion of professors in the "super grade" (equivalent to the pay grade of a senior secretary) and introduction of a separate pay scale for public university teachers.

The same day, the Inter-University Officers' Federation also joined the movement boycotting work.

Quader, also the AL general secretary, yesterday said there was a confusion regarding the "Prottoy" pension scheme to be effective from July this year, but in fact it would be in force from July next year.

Prof Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, secretary general of the FBUTA, told journalists that their talks with the government representatives "went well".

He said they would decide their next course of action after consulting the leaders of the teachers' associations and all federations.

Under the Prottoy pension scheme, 10 percent of the monthly basic salary of an employee, up to Tk 5,000, will be deducted and given to their pension fund. Besides, there will be no one-time gratuity for retirees.

However, under the present pension system, no money is deducted from the employees' salary and it also allows a five percent annual increment of the pension and encashment of the earned leave.

Teachers claimed that their financial benefits will be reduced in the new system.

STALEMATE CONTINUES

The two-week movement has halted the activities of almost all public universities across the county. Students fear that this may lead to session jams.

As public universities officials and employees abstain from work, many current and former students cannot collect or submit the necessary documents.

Farid Hossain, a former Rajshahi University students, yesterday said he needed to send his original educational certificates to a university abroad to attend classes there this month, but he could not get those as the administrative building was shut down for about two weeks.

Many other public university students could not collect documents as almost all administrative and academic activities were suspended.

The RU authorities postponed their undergraduate admission process on July 1 citing "unavoidable reasons". They also deferred the start of the first-year honours classes.

Students at Comilla University have expressed frustration at the stalemate. No classes were held at the university for about two months since early May, following a conflict between the teachers and the vice-chancellor over an untoward incident at the latter's office.

Israt Jahan Bonna, a final year (honours) student of English, told The Daily Star, "The university was reopened on June 23 after about two months, but the academic activities are being hampered again due to the teachers' movement."

Moniruzzaman, an associate professor and also a former student adviser at the university, on Thursday said, "The classroom is the proper place for both teachers and students. As they are waging movements [over pension benefits and quota in government jobs], valuable time is being lost."

The undergraduate admission seekers have also been affected as the admission process and orientation of students at the Chittagong University of Engineering and Technology, Khulna University of Engineering and Technology, and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology have been postponed.

Former UGC chairman Prof Abdul Mannan said bringing university teachers under the universal pension scheme was not a wise decision.

"The government should have consulted the teachers before making the decision."

Terming the decision discriminatory, Qazi Khaliquzzaman Ahmad, co-chair of the Education Policy Formulation Committee, said, "The authorities should have addressed their concerns first because a country cannot move forward if the issues of the teachers and the education sector are not taken into consideration."

AKM Rifat Hasan, an associate professor of management at Jagannath University, said the students and teachers are trying to change two systems (quota in government jobs and pension facilities).

"The government must make a decision soon. Otherwise, there will be a possibility of session jams," he told The Daily Star.