Teachers’ hunger strike to continue until Friday

Protesting teachers holding a symbolic hunger strike outside the Karachi Press Club have announced continuing their demonstration until Friday.

Addressing the participants on Monday, Government Secondary Teachers Association Sindh (GSTAS) Central President Maqsood Mehmood Mahesar said they were not against new recruitments. “But the provincial government should make new recruitments permanently instead of on a contract basis.”

Demanding the release of unpaid salaries, he said the education department should pay the salaries to the teachers recruited nine years ago. “Their salaries are even mentioned in the budget book.”

Mahesar said the scrutiny processes of “other cadre employees recruited in 2012” was unsatisfactory. “We will not end the protest without getting the problems of the teachers resolved.” He said the Sindh government and its education department were spending public money “on self-improvement and publicity”. He said the association was not waiting for the ministers or officials during the protest at the press club.

“As representatives of the government teachers, we have presented a 15-point basic charter of demand, but the problems of the teachers are much more than that."

He said the GSTAS had started a series of protests which would continue till January 1. In response to a question, he said whenever they held a protest, the education department sent letters to calm them down. “Now we do not trust any of their letters. We want practical steps”. He said the association had decided to hold a teachers’ march from Kashmore to Karachi on January 12.