TAXILA, Oct 2: Scores of college teachers serving in various colleges of Wah Cantonment associated with the Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) on Saturday announced to observe World Teachers’ Day — October 5 — as ‘black day’ in protest against the non-implementation of the prime minister’s directions regarding the upgradation of their pay scales.

Office bearers of Federal Government College Teacher Association including a large number of male and female teachers talking to newsmen here urged the government to upgrade their scales through Time Scale Promotion Formula (TSPF). They said that college teachers’ promotion was part of a package, which was announced by Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on October 8 last year. Speaking on the occasion, FGTA President Zahid Ali Shah said that for the last 20 years or more, dozens of FDE teachers of
Basic Pay Scale-16 were struggling for their promotions, but no one was ready to give them their due promotion.

He said that after the prime minister’s announcement it was expected that the teachers’ promotion issue would be resolved in a few weeks but even after the lapse of one year teachers still awaited their due right. He reiterated their stance that they would continue their protest against the discriminatory attitude of the authorities and if their status was not upgraded they would observe International Teachers Day on October 5 as a ‘black day’.Dawn.