Daily Times

In contrary to government’s decision to increase daily-wage salary to Rs 25,000 per month, the Federal Directorate of Education’s (FDE) so for failed to comply the executive decision of the state. Moreover, hundreds of daily-wage workers at the directorate are also not being paid since the last many months, Daily Times has learnt reliably.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in his first speech on the floor of National Assembly (NA) had announced to increase daily-wage monthly salary from Rs 18,000 to Rs 25,000 and it was notified subsequently. However, the sources said, yet the FDE is in complete defiance of said executive decision.

The matter of the regularization of over 1,700 daily-wage teaching and non-teaching employees of different cadres working at 423 educational institutions of the FDE, has been pending since the last many years.

While the FDE authorities not only failed to pay such staffers since many months but also denied giving them their legal rights as per new ruling of the government, well informed sources said.

An official said while wishing anonymity that DG Dr Ikram Ali Malik is a major hurdle to giving staffers their due rights, adding that since he assumed charge never took up this issue as seriously.

“Whenever we requested him to look at the matter personally, he ever showed his helplessness regarding this,” he added.

He further said that Dr Malik also did make a certain sort of policy to up-grade the institution as well as for the welfare of the employees, adding that discontentment among staffers is increasing inchmeal down the slope.

Despite repeated attempts by Daily Times, Dr Malik could not be approached to have a version on the issue. As per available information, the lingering issue of the regularization had also been taken up in different courts, as well as parliamentary standing committees. The different committees including Supreme Court and High Courts gave verdicts in favour of these employees.

Moreover, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) government had introduced a policy for contractual employees and daily wagers of the federal government in 2009. A sub-committee of the cabinet was formed to further discuss the devised policy, and the committee directed regularisation of 100,000 daily wagers, who had been working in various federal departments and ministries. Many departments reported compliance of this committee’s findings but the FDE still dilly-dallied to act upon order of the committee.

A couple of years back, a three-member SC bench categorically gave a verdict in favour of these employees. The apex court remarked “all daily-wage employees should give joining applications in their respective departments”.

The curtness by the authorities concerned forced many daily wagers to quit their jobs as initial strength of such employees in the FDE was over 2000 which decreased to around 1300 now.

Moreover, the FDE also has a shortage of teaching and non-teaching staffers. As per education experts, if authorities look into the matter seriously these daily-wagers a gap of staff deficiency in FDE’s intuitions can also be filled.

Meanwhile, a small section of female teachers held a day-long protest against non-payment of their salaries outside the Board office in sector G-8. The teachers called off the protest when city authorities assured them of resolving the issue after consultation with FDE and other relevant authorities.

“Protest of female teachers outside Board of Education Office G-8 amicably resolved through negotiations and roads opened for traffic,” said Assistant Commissioner (AC) Awaid Bhatti, adding that we mediated between DG Education and the teachers whose salaries were withheld for twelve months and consequently shall be released within the next ten days.