What are the demands of Govt. teachers and why are they protesting?

Lahore (AGEGA Updates – School Education Department)

On the orders of the caretaker government in Punjab, the police have arrested several teachers while torturing the protesting teachers and union leaders.

After the arrest of All Government Employees Grand Alliance Punjab (AGEGA) leaders, teachers’ protests are continuing in various cities and schools are being locked for an indefinite period.

According to the decision of the Headmasters’ Associations, the educational process was suspended in schools in more or less all the cities of Punjab and the teachers tied black bands on their arms and protested in front of the schools.

Controversial actions of caretaker punjab government

The caretaker chief minister of Punjab province Mohsin Naqvi’s government on June 1 issued a controversial notification of “reduction and termination of various privileges” of provincial employees, which is effective immediately. Among them, “reduction in leave encashment, gratuity, pension and commutation ”  are included. All benefits given to the employees will now be given on “initial basic salary” instead of “running basic salary”.

What is the difference between Running Basic and Initial Basic?

The running basic salary of a scale is the salary that is current and includes several annual increments. Initial Basic salary refers to the first pay of a scale which is very low. If the current running basic of an employee is 50 thousand rupees, then his initial basic can be 16 thousand rupees.

What are leave encashment, gratuity, pension and commutation?

The leaves of government employees that they do not take accumulate every year. At the end of the service, if the leave exceeds one year, the employee is given the facility of leave encashment, which was used to be on running basic salary in the past.

Now it will be given on initial basic salary which is very low. Moreover, the employee is bound to apply for leave three months before the commencement of the last year of service so that the government does not have to pay money for leave encashment.

Gratuity is the amount which is deducted monthly from the salary of the employees and is paid together at the end of the service. Monthly pension will now also be given on initial basic salary, in the past it was given on running basic salary.

Mandate of caretaker punjab government

Chief Coordinator AGEGA Pakistan Rehman Bajwa and other leaders challenged the notification based on the exploitation of government employees in the court and raised questions on the mandate of the caretaker provincial government.

The court dismissed the cases filed against AGEGA leaders and teachers and ordered their release. After the cases of AGEGA leaders were dismissed, the police re-arrested them under 16 MPO and transferred them to Kot Lakhpat Jail Lahore.

Privatization of public schools in Punjab

The caretaker provincial government is also going to privatize some government schools, which has increased the concern of the teachers community regarding the future of the schools.

No recruitment has been done in government schools since 2018 due to which there is a shortage of teachers in most of the schools.

Besides, neither the staff nor the buildings were provided in the upgraded schools. Teachers are forcibly sent to different duties due to which the education process is affected.

The teachers’ organizations are demanding that the caretaker government withdraw the measures taken against the government employees and leave the matter to the upcoming political democratic government.