Selection grade, time scale may stay

Finance Minister AMA Muhith, within three days, has changed his stance on abolishing the selection grade and time scale for government staffs in the new pay scale.

After a combined meeting with agriculturists, doctors and BCS cadres at his secretariat office yesterday, Muhith hinted the provision of selection grade and time scale would stay in the new pay structure.

“We have to hold more discussions to settle the issue. Meanwhile, we have finished discussing the issue with other stakeholders,” the finance minister said.

Earlier on November 1, after a meeting of the cabinet committee on salary discrepancy, the finance minister said the criteria of time scale and selection grade under the existing pay scale would be dropped in the new one.

Instead, an alternative system would be introduced that would automatically upgrade public servants' grades after a certain period, he said.

In response to a query as to whether the government has backtracked from its stance on the selection grade and time scale, the minister said, “We never had a rigid stance on this issue”.

Explaining the alternative system, he said, if an employee stays in the same grade for 10 years at a stretch, s/he will receive salary in the next grade from the 11th year.

After that, he added, if s/he stays in the same post for six years, they will again be upgraded to the next grade.

A finance ministry official said a meeting of the cabinet committee on salary discrepancy on November 20 would reach a final decision on these issues.

Under the existing system, government staffs get time scale and an upper grade after a certain period when they do not get promotion in due time.

Under the new scale, public servants will also see their salaries rise on a five percent incremental basis every year instead of the time scale and selection grade.

However, if the time scale and selection grade are restored, the yearly increase of salary on five percent incremental basis will have to be scrapped, he said adding existence of the two at a time would put pressure on the budget.

After the cabinet approved the new pay scale on September 7, government staffs and teachers under the banner of different associations have launched movements demanding restoration of selection grade and time scale.