A ray of hope for unpaid daily wagers

Islamabad

The meeting between state minister for the Capital Administration and Development Division (CADD) Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and finance minister Ishaq Dar has offered a glimmer of hope for the daily-wage teachers of Islamabad Capital Territory’s government schools not paid salary for five months.

The CADD regulates ICT public sector schools and colleges through the Federal Directorate of Education.

A Young Teachers Association member told ‘The News’ that the daily-wage employees of Islamabad’s government schools and colleges hadn’t been paid salary since last November.

He said an YTA delegation met the CADD minister to apprise him of the misery of daily wagers lately and there followed a meeting between the latter and finance minister bringing about good news about the early payments in question.

The YTA member said in light of the finance minister’s assurance about the release of due funds, the CADD had prepared a summary, which would be put up to the finance ministry soon for formal approval.

He said the association hoped for the early payment of due salary to daily-wage staff members of Islamabad schools totalling around 2,000.

In the last five months, these daily wagers met the relevant government representatives, officials and lawmakers and boycotted classes and even examination duty to claim the withheld salary, but to no avail.

Drawing Rs14,000 every month, they complained they’re distressed by financial problems caused by non-payment of salary.

Employed by the FDE for around eight years, the daily-wage teachers also demand either posting to the vacant positions and creation of new posts for the rest, increase in the monthly salary of daily-wage teachers from current Rs13,000 to Rs30,000 in line with their contemporaries in Punjab and that of non-teaching staff members reasonably, or offering of job contract to daily wagers without the condition of selection on open merit and once that contract expires, permanent joining be given to their respective posts.