A recurring battle: Government techies reject one-step promotion

ITSA asks govt to promote employees to Grade-16

PESHAWAR:

The IT staff of the Civil Secretariat has rejected the one-step promotion announced for them by the provincial government for the next fiscal year.

During Monday’s budget speech, Minister for Finance Muzaffar Said had announced two-step promotions for employees between grade-one and grade-five and one-step promotions for Grade-6 to Grade-16 employees. The IT staff has been working as either grade-10 or grade-12 employees and believe a glass ceiling has been put into place to prevent them for being promoted.

Nearly two weeks ago, Information Technology Staff Association (ITSA) wrote to chief secretary about the IT staff’s grievances.

Insiders told The Express Tribune, the association has asked the government to promote the 2,500 employees in the IT department to grade-16.

Stuck in a rut

An ITSA member said many employees in IT departments have master’s degrees. “Yet, they are not paid much,” he added.

Syed Habibullah, president of the association, told The Express Tribune many of his colleagues are about to retire after over 25 years of service but have only been promoted to grade-12 or grade-14.

“I have witnessed many junior clerks and peons being promoted to grade-16 and grade-17,” he said.  “However, I have yet to be promoted to this level.”

Khan, an IT employee at the finance department, was selected as a computer operator in grade-10 in 1989. However, over the last 26 years, he has only been promoted to grade-14.

“When I joined the finance department we had a peon who recently retired as a deputy secretary,” he explained.

A question of priorities

According to Khan, the finance minister had promised to address their reservations.

“However, we came to know about the one-step promotion while helping the relevant departments prepare budget document,” he said. “We want to be promoted to grade-16 because all other provinces have also promoted IT staff to this level. We are far more qualified than junior clerks who have been promoted to higher levels than we have.”

ITSA General Secretary Akhunzada Shakeel Ahmed said they had previously approached Peshawar High Court to have their grievances addressed.

Although the court had decided the matter in their favour, the provincial government has challenged the PHC’s decision in the apex court. The matter has remained on the pending tray for over two years.

Earlier, in April, IT staff across Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa went on strike, demanding promotion and significant improvements in the service structure. A large number of employees boycotted their duties until their demands were met. At the time, it was believed their decision would have an adverse effect on budget preparations.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 18^th, 2015.