Raring to protest: Teachers vow to take to the streets

Govt has failed to revise pay scale, prevent privatisation of schools

LAHORE: The Punjab Teachers’ Union (PTU) is once again preparing to take to the streets against the provincial government. Union members believe the government has yet to fulfil commitments made to teachers earlier this year regarding the revision of pay scales and the privatisation of schools.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, PTU General Secretary Rana Liaquat said the union would hold demonstrations in various districts of Punjab if the government does not address the demands of teachers. According to Liaquat, PTU members will also protest outside Punjab Assembly and Chief Minister’s Secretariat.

In the backdrop

In May, PTU had organised a sit-in outside Punjab Assembly. A month later, another group of schoolteachers also blocked Mall Road. The teachers wanted the relevant authorities to upgrade their pay scale and put an end to the ‘privatisation’ of schools through Punjab Education Foundation (PEF).

“The government had agreed to the protesting teachers, after which they ended their protest,” he said.

The general secretary said the government had agreed to their demands and vowed to revise their pay scales by the end of September.

“We trusted the government’s word and ended our protest,” Liaquat said. “We will take all-out measures after September 30. We will hold a meeting of our central executive committee, which will decide the future course of action.”

Without priority

The PTU general secretary said parties have shown their sympathy to the teachers’ cause. However, when they come into power, they impede the rights of teachers.

“The union is not affiliated with any political party but is working for the rights of teachers,” he said. “The Punjab government has [revised] the pay scales of the police and clerks. However, teachers are not prioritised and are seldom provided incentives.”

Up in arms

PTU and other teachers’ organisations had been protesting against the Punjab government since 2015 against the alleged privatisation of public schools in the province.

Following the protests in May, the government assured teachers that schools were not being privatised and jobs of schoolteachers were secure. However, there is a spiralling wave of mistrust between teachers and the government.

Another group of schoolteachers, who have been rallying support under the All Asataza Alliance Punjab (AAAP), launched their protest on September 17. They vowed to continue demonstrations, boycott examinations and close down schools across the province if the government does not stop the privatisation of schools. Both groups had decided to protest in Lahore from October. However, PTU disagreed with the boycott and distanced itself from AAAP’s demonstrations.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 23^rd, 2016.