Teachers ‘unpaid for five years’ take to the streets again

The New Teachers Action Committee on Monday again took to the streets to protest against the Sindh Education Department for not releasing their salaries since August 2012 after their appointments were declared fake.

The affected officials have been staging protests to draw the Sindh government’s attention towards the issue. Their appointments were declared fake by then secretary education Dr Fazlullah Pechuho.

The demonstration, however, triggered a massive traffic gridlock within the Red Zone as the protesters started marching towards the Sindh Assembly Building from the local press club at around 3pm.

The protesting officials were intercepted by a heavy contingent of the local police force at the Sarwer Shaheed Road, near the Arts Council roundabout. However, they then decided to stage a sit-in at the intersection near the Sindh Assembly building after senior police officers assured them of arranging a meeting with government officials as soon as the assembly session ended.

The protests had begun the march towards the assembly building after secretary education schools, Abdul Aziz Uqaili, did not meet with the three-member committee of the teachers. The committee comprised of its chairperson Abu Bakar Abro and members Zaheer Baloch and Muhammad Musab Hassan Abbasi.

The NTAC claims that despite being issued job letters in 2012 and having been deputed on duties in both general and local bodies’ elections, polio drives and other official assignments, the education department had not released their salaries till date.

They were appointed for the posts of Sindhi and Oriental languages’ teachers, Art teachers, Physical Training Instructors as well as for non-teaching posts. “The appointments were made after the teachers took the National Testing Services test and submitted all relevant documents. A total of 3,622 people were selected on teaching and non-teaching posts,” a protesting teacher stated.

The NTAC alleged that Uqaili promised to resolve the matter on a priority basis when they had previously come to Karachi to protest against the same issue on June 5, but now the secretary education schools has been claiming that no record was available with the department to endorse the teachers’ plea.

The committee appealed to the Sindh government and the leadership of the Pakistan People’s Party to resolve the matter on humanitarian ground so as to end the sufferings of their children and parents.