Teachers again protest for salary increase, promotions

Say if demands are not met, they will continue protest for indefinite period

LAHORE: Hundreds of college lecturers and professors held a protest and sit-in outside the Punjab Civil Secretariat on Wednesday, demanding that the provincial government fulfil their promises for “pay protection” and promotions.

The protest was held by the Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA). The participants began a sit-in and warned that if their demands were not met, the demonstration would continue for an indefinite period.

The PPLA has been demanding pay protection, timescale and pending promotions of teachers for some years and even held protests earlier. Last year, a similar demonstration was held when Higher Education Department (HED) officials assured the teachers that their legitimate demands would be met.

Speaking at the protest, PPLA member Nazim Hasnain said the government should fulfil its promises as teachers would not wait any longer. “It has been over a year since the government accepted their demands. Timely promotion, pay protection and timescale-based promotions were the rights of teachers.” He added that the government should end their anti-teacher policies.

The teachers continued their protest till late afternoon and ended it after a round of negotiations between PPLA office bearers and HED officials at the Civil Secretariat.

PPLA President Hafiz Abdul Khaliq announced that they had been assured that their demand of timescale-based promotions would be met by January 15. He added they were told that a summary would be sent to the chief minister within the given period. “For other demands, including pay protection, the HED has assured us that the finance department will be contacted.”

Khaliq told the protesters that the government had asked till January 20 to fulfil their demands. He announced that if the government did not fulfil their promises, they would organise a similar protest.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Khaliq said, “We raised these demands a year ago and were told that they were all legitimate. Now, after a year, nothing has been done and no commitment materialised. Because of this, we have decided to take to the streets.” He said PPLA held 15-20 meetings with the government officials and was ultimately forced to take to the streets as teachers were getting anxious.

“We have been assured that notifications will be issued for the mutually-agreed demands and the government has asked us to wait until January 20. We have not ended our protest and will continue it in other forms. After January 20, if no progress is made on our demands, we will organise a much bigger protest and sit-in.” The protest and sit-in ended after a round of negotiations with the officials of the HED.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 21^st, 2017.