Government employees demand ninth pay scale with special increments
The special increments would eliminate pay disparity
An organisation of government employees, on Friday, demanded the formation of a pay commission to announce the ninth pay scale. The scale would provide special increments to balance the living standards of government employees.
The leaders of the Bangladesh Government Employees Unnayan Parishad made 11 demands at a press conference at the National Press Club in the capital.
Shahinur Rahman, central chief coordinator of the platform, read out a written statement at the press conference.
Their demands include: reinstating the time scale and selection grade, ending the outsourcing of recruitment, regularising the jobs of existing employees, transfering development project employees to the revenue sector, and changing the posts and grades of other officers to be like those of secretariat officers.
They underscored the need for the rapid formation of the Ninth Pay Commission and an announcement of the Ninth Pay Scale with special increments to eliminate pay disparity and balance the quality of life and income-expenditure.
Additionally, the platform demanded that 10 grades must be implemented, in light of the law formulated by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's government in 1973, instead of the current 20 grades, to eliminate pay inequality.
They also demanded the payment of 100% of basic rent as well as the provision of standard quality rations at a low price and interest-free housing loans of Tk50 lakh for low-salary employees.
The organisation also demanded gas and electricity bill allowances, risk allowances and the introduction of overtime.
Md Shahinur Rahman said, "There is huge disparity among the 1-10 and 11-20 grades of government officials and employees. The low-salary employees have suffered most because of this inequality."
"We request that the government accept our 11-point demand, on humanitarian grounds, to eliminate pay disparity," he added.