|
Another striking combine issued an ultimatum giving the government six days to withdraw the 'deceptive' declaration to pay non-government teachers and employees 100 per cent salary from the national exchequer, as they continued their strike, reports UNB.
Bangladesh Shikkhak-Karmachari Oikya Parishad (BSKOP) Wednesday gave the ultimatum to join forces with the National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE), which announced their programme Tuesday.
Turning down the government's announcement as 'deceptive' and 'ill-motivated', BSKOP leaders vowed to continue their nonstop strike until their 17-point demand were met.
BSKOP president MA Awal Siddiqui made the announcement at a sit-in programme at the Central Shaheed Minar, where several thousands striking teachers and employees joined the programme of squatting. The sit-in was organised in protest against the announcement of teachers' salary hike made by the Education Minister Sunday last.
According to "Prime Minister's electoral promise", BSKOP-a platform of six non-government teachers and employees' federations-demanded the 10 per cent increase in basic salary from the national exchequer in cash by August 15.
"The government also has to withdraw the Education Minister's announcement on deposition of the institutions' tuition fees with government fund in exchange for receiving the 10 per cent basic salary from the national exchequer," the BSKOP further demanded.
Besides continuing the nonstop strike, BSKOP will also stage a sit-in in front of Upazila Nirbahi Officers' (UNO) offices every Monday and Deputy Commissioners' (DC) offices every Thursday across the country as part of their fresh programmes.
Awal Siddiqui alleged that the government fulfilled "only half of its electoral promise and didn't take any measure" to settle the teachers' other demands: increase in house rent, medical allowance, annual increment, festival bonus, time scale etc.
"We will accept the condition of depositing all the earnings of our institutions with government fund only if the government takes all the responsibility of the institutions' financial expenses," he told the gathering.
"We think that the announcement has dimmed the scope of fulfilling the non-government educational institutions' regular expenses and other requirements of the teachers and employees," said the teacher-leader of the movement.
He dubbed this step "a long-term plan of making the educational institutions dysfunctional".
On the other hand, Bangladesh Technical College Teachers' Association (BTCTA) will stage a human-chain demonstration at Muktangan in the city today at 11:30am to press for realising their 12-point demand.
|