New Age | Teachers at state universities go on indefinite strike

The newly introduced pension instrument for new entrants to autonomous and semi-autonomous state institutions angered teachers at state universities, who announced an indefinite absence from work across the country starting today.

A day before the launch of Prattay, a new pension instrument of the National Pension Authority, the Federation of Bangladesh University Teachers Association called for a boycott of classes, examinations and administrative work.

In a press release on Sunday, FBUTA said its indefinite abstention was part of an ongoing movement to push through its demands, which include the abolition of a gazette linked to Prattay and the introduction of an independent salary structure for university lecturers.

The Official Gazette published on March 14 made it mandatory for all civil servants and employees entering autonomous and semi-autonomous state institutions from July 1, 2024, to be included in the new pension instrument.

The new pension regulations do not apply to government officials.

The FBUTA rejects the complaint and says it has been monitoring protests and programs over the past three months.

FBUTA General Secretary Md Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan said they opposed the new system as it would lead to inconsistencies.

This would deter high-performing students from entering the teaching profession, he said, describing the new pension system as a conspiracy to destroy the education system.

On Sunday, teachers of various universities, including Dhaka University, Jahangirnagar University, Rajshahi University, Jagannath University, Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology, Shahjalal University of Science and Technology and Rajshahi University of Engineering and Technology, observed all-day work stoppage as part of various programmes.

DUTA announced nine programs, including the closure of all classrooms and online classes, an exam boycott, the suspension of seminars and research papers, and the closure of the central library.

“We will monitor the situation,” Education Minister Mohibul Hassan Chowdhury said on Sunday at a press conference in the city to mark the final examinations for senior secondary schools.

Regarding the much-discussed pension scheme, he said it would apply to teachers who start their careers after July 1.

“We are part of the executive branch of the government,” he said, adding: “No comment should be made on the specific decision of the government.”

He also said his ministry had discussed the matter with teachers on several occasions.

The National Pension Authority has already updated its online system for registering civil servants and employees of state autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions with the Prattay.

In addition, a monthly contribution of at least 2,000 taka and a maximum of 10,000 taka was set.

It is calculated that a subscriber to the instrument will get a maximum pension of Taka 3,446,550,000 if he deposits Taka 10,000 per month for 42 years and a minimum pension of Taka 3,060 if he deposits Taka 2,000 per month for 10 compulsory years.

However, the university lecturers noticed discrepancies between the old and the new instrument.

Fixed bonuses and medical allowances are excluded from the new instruments.

In the old pension system, the retirement age for teachers was 65, but in Prattay it is 60.

The new instrument also no longer provides for the payment of accrued holiday entitlements and financial benefits during the holiday preparation phase.

The new teachers have to pay about 10 percent of their pension and a similar amount into the provident fund under the Prattay scheme, which puts additional burden on them at the beginning of their careers, said FBUTA general secretary Md Nizamul Haque Bhuiyan, who is also the president of DUTA.

Around 16,000 state university lecturers work in the organizations affiliated to the association.

Currently, over 250,000 civil servants and employees work in state autonomous institutions and structures.

Retired officials of state autonomous and semi-autonomous institutions receive a pension like public officials and employees – 90 percent of their basic monthly salary.

Md Golam Mostafa, member of the National Pension Board, said the old instrument was different from the new one.

“We are merely implementing the policy,” he said in his comment on the teachers’ disagreements and protests.

The authority has already launched the contributory schemes Pragati, Samata and Probash, in which the government does not contribute to the membership fees.

The government contribution towards the monthly subscription fee under Surokkha is intended for low-income groups.

When the program was launched in August 2023, former Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal hoped that the program would attract many subscribers and help the government deal with the credit crunch.

However, insiders say the pension authority is having difficulty attracting new customers. As of last week, the total number of members was around 332,773.

The government has received contributions of around Taka 97 crore, of which Taka 93 crore has been invested in government bonds.