Hundreds of teachers, who have been working as daily-wagers in Federal Government Education Institutions (FGEIs) in Rawalpindi Cantonment for the last many years, get only Rs 6,750 a month, despite the fact that some of them hold masters, MPhil and PhD degrees.
Teachers – some of whom have been in the profession as daily-wagers for the last 25 years –said that the Education Department has failed to implement a court order for their regularisation and they were continuously being exploited by the high-ups for a pittance, which is half of the minimum wage labourers get across the country.
The teachers said that under the law and in most cases, daily-wagers, contractors or temporary employees were regularised after they render at least one to three years in service, in their case, the rule and law was continuously being floundered by the authorities by denying them permanent jobs.
“This is a murder of justice. We hold MA, MPhil and PhD degrees but what we get is a pittance, which is humiliating Rs 6,750 a month,” said one of the female teachers on anonymity.
Basit Iqbal Shaheen, another teacher, who had been teaching for the last 17 years, said that even labourers get Rs 15,000 in the country, they were being exploited only by giving them far less than the minimum wage.
Noorin Aziz, another teacher at a garrison school, said that schools were going to be open from August 18, the daily wagers will not be given full salary and they authorities will deduct their salary of 18 days.
Shaista, another teacher who had been in the profession for the last 25 years, said that all the daily wagers were highly qualified but they were never offered permanent jobs. The teachers have appealed to the chief justice and the prime minister to take cognizance of their plight and order the garrison authorities to offer them permanent jobs.
Repeated contact was made on a rent line number to take official version FGEI Rawalpindi Directorate, but the call was not attended. The rent line number given on the FGEI has been changed and the administration has failed to update the new number on the website.