MPO teachers reject govt decision

Teachers and employees of non-government MPO-enlisted schools and colleges yesterday demanded that the government withdraw its decision of increasing the amount of monthly contribution from their salaries for their retirement benefits and welfare allowances.

They also demanded pension facilities and other allowances like teachers and employees of the government institutions saying that they do the same amount of work like the government ones.

They threatened to wage a tougher movement after September 7 if their demands are not met by then.

Before that, demonstrations in the form of human chains and protest rallies will be staged across the country under the banner of National Front of Teachers and Employees (NFTE), they said. 

The announcement was made at a press conference organised by NFTE, a platform of 11 organisations of teachers and employees, in the capital's Jatiya Press Club.

According to NFTE, the ministry of education on March 15 last year came up with a “sudden” decision to increase the amount of the monthly contribution to 10 percent from six percent.

Last month, the education ministry issued two gazette notifications, increasing the amount for retirement benefits to six and welfare allowance to four percent. According to the notifications, the decision is supposed to be effective from this month.

NFTE Chief Coordinator Principal Quazi Faruque Ahmed said the teachers and employees of the non-government institutions always face discrimination in terms of getting facilities from the government, although they work same like the government ones and approximately 98 percent of the total students are currently studying there.

“We receive very few government facilities…Instead of getting full pension, we get a retirement benefit; recently, its monthly contribution has been increased,” he said.

“What is the point of increasing the amount if we don't get more benefits?” Quazi Faruque questioned.

Azizul Islam, president of Bangladesh Shikkhok Samity, said it will be hard for the teachers and employees to pay the increased amount as they do not get adequate benefits.

Asadul Haq, president of Bangladesh College Shikkhok Samity, said the decision, which was made without their consent, was imposed on them irrationally.

Moreover, the topic was not in the agenda of the meeting when the decision was made, he added.

Faiz Hossain, general secretary of Bangladesh College Shikkhok Samity; and Mohshin Hawlader, secretary general of Bangladesh Shikkhok Samity, also spoke among others.