Sahiwal Punjab Educators Associations threaten strike
Sahiwal: The Punjab Educators Association has threatened to observe hunger strike in front of the Civil Secretariat in Lahore on Jan 31 for the acceptance of their demands.
Among the association's demands are age relaxation, permanent employment and issuance of qualification allowances for the 75,000 contract educators enrolled with the PEA. This was stated by Shahzad Sadiq Faridi, chairman of the PEA's Supreme Council, Punjab.
He said the PEA is a registered umbrella body working for the collective rights of 75,000 educators employed by the previous Punjab government in different phases from 2002 to onwards against vacant posts in primary, middle and high schools.
These educators were employed on a contract and sent to all districts of Punjab; in Sahiwal district, as many as 2,600 educators are working in different schools on a contract.
He said the educators felt 'threatened' as the Punjab government had decided to recruit 34,054 new academics under its new recruitment policy.
Under the S&GAD notification of Dec 22, 2005, he said, the Punjab government contract employees had certain 'rights' which include extension and continuation of their contract job periods.
But, the new recruitment policy doesn't provide for age relaxation and security to the previous contract educators.
"Technically, we cannot apply for fresh jobs (as educators) as our age-limit of 35 becomes a barrier," he said. Dawn
.....................
