OPF teachers, staff hold protest

Islamabad:Dozens of teachers and admin staff members belonging to various educational institutions run by the Overseas Pakistanis Foundation (OPF) Friday held a protest demonstration outside National Press Club here, demanding release of 25% ad-hoc relief announced by the government in the Budget 2024-25 and parity of pay and other allowances with employees of OPF Head Office, says a press release.

The teachers and admin staff from OPF Boys College, H-8/4, OPF Girls College, F-8/2, OPF Girls College, F-11/2, and OPF Girls School, Rawalpindi participated in the protest.

Holding banners and placards, the teachers were of the view that they had long been deprived of their rights in pay structure. They said that the OPF Head Office had not yet released the 25% ad-hoc relief announced in the federal Budget 2024-25, which they termed a sheer violation of their constitutional rights. The protesters also highlighted the imparity of pay & scales and other allowance between the employees of educational institutions and that of employees of OPF Head Office. They said this step-motherly attitude is adversely affecting the quality of education at the OPF educational institutions since employees could not perform their best with this meager pay and allowances.

“I am a senior teacher of OPF Boys College having served the institution for 20 years. My pay is equal to that of a clerk working at OPF Head Office having same experience. Is it a justice?” complained a senior teacher. The teachers said that they would continue their protest and could boycott the classes if their rightful demands were not met.