College Professors Demand Urgent Pay Raise As Inflation Skyrockets

College Professors Demand Urgent Pay Raise As Inflation Skyrockets
The countrywide association of professors and lecturers elected new office-bearers, appointing Munawar Abbas as the president and Jamshed Khan as secretary general for the next term, the other day.

The meeting was hosted by the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Professors, Lecturers and Librarians Association (KPPLLA), at the Government Degree College, Nathiagali, Abbottabad, according to a statement.

During the meeting, the stakeholders also put forth a charter of demands, asking the government to take notice. It included a uniform service structure for college professors of all federating units on the pattern of a five-tier formula of KP, with the ratio of 0.5, 6, 22, 35.5 and 36.

They highlighted that inflation has severely-hit the downtrodden segment of the society, highlighted the need for a 100 percent increase in the salaries of college teachers.

The academic representatives also demanded house rent, medical allowance and conveyance allowance at market rate and payment of group insurance on retirement, for the academics.

They also pointed out a disparity in the qualification allowances at the MPhil, MS and PhD levels. The stakeholders urged disparity reduction in the allowances.

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Speaking on the occasion, the newly elected president, Prof. Munawar Abbas and general secretary, Prof. Jamshed Khan highlighted various issues faced by the college professors' community of the country.

They said that they have common interests and will make joint efforts to uplift the dignity and grace of the professors in view of their contributions for imparting quality higher education to millions of destitute students across Pakistan.

On the occasion, the representatives of seven associations of professors and lecturers also reorganised the All Pakistan Professors and Lecturers Association (APPLA), a well as elected new representatives for the All Pakistan College Professors.

The meeting was attended by the top leadership of KPPLLA, Punjab Professors and Lecturers Association (PPLA), Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association (SPLA), Balochistan Professors and Lecturers Association (BPLA), Gilgit Baltistan Professors and Lecturers Association (GBPLA), Azad Kashmir College Teachers Association (AKCTA), and Federal Government College Teachers Association ( FGCTA).

The writer is a student of History and a journalist interested in writing on gender equality, social issues and cultural heritage.