Local staff of icddr,b to continue demos for salary hike

Staff Welfare Association (SWA) of icddr,b yesterday announced that they would continue demonstrations demanding salary hike and other privileges.

“We will demonstrate tomorrow (Thursday) to restrict entry of the chief operations officer who is a foreigner and whose recruitment was totally unnecessary,” said SWA General Secretary Dr Firoz Ahmed.

SWA yesterday held a meeting with the management of the International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh (icddr,b) on the invitation of the latter to address the demands.

“There was no outcome of the meeting. Another meeting was scheduled for Sunday,” said Dr Firoz.

SWA has been demonstrating for the last few days demanding cancellation of a contract through which 40,500 square feet of its space was leased out to Brac at a “throwaway price” for 49 years and stopping recruiting foreign staff to posts not related to science.

They also demanded that the icddr,b cut down food costs at its canteen and monthly transport costs and provide festival bonus and increase the retirement age.

They demand that the copyright of the Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition of icddr,b be bought back from a UK company.

Senior Communications Manager at icddr,b Nasmeen Ahmed said the management would hold Sunday's meeting to further discuss and address the issues raised by SWA.