Employees’ ultimatum ends today: When will the final pay scale recommendation come?

The National Pay Commission is working on revising salaries and allowances for employees in government, semi-government, autonomous bodies, state-owned banks, government-funded universities and state-run educational institutions. Commission members have already held two rounds of meetings with secretaries from various ministries and divisions. However, no concrete decision has emerged yet.

Meanwhile, several advisers of the interim government have hinted that the new pay scale will be implemented after the next elected government comes to power following the February election. Government employees have not taken this well. They want the current administration to roll it out. They have threatened agitation if the gazette notification making the new pay scale effective is not issued by 15 December. Today Sunday (30 November) was the deadline they had set for the commission to submit its recommendations.

This has created fresh complications. Although the interim government formed the pay commission, sources say it is also keen to see the matter through. As part of this, Pay Commission Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan chaired the meeting held on 24 November.

The commission has been holding consultations with over 200 employee organisations after collecting online opinions on the ninth pay scale. The most recent meetings were the second round with secretaries on Wednesday (26 November), attended by Senior Secretary Md Ehsanul Haque of the Public Administration Ministry and Senior Secretary ASM Saleh Ahmed of the Land Ministry, among others. The first round was held on Monday (24 November) with secretaries from various ministries and divisions.

After the meeting, Commission Chairman Zakir Ahmed Khan told The Daily Campus: "The discussions were fruitful. However, not all secretaries were present. We will hold another meeting with them later." Asked when the recommendations might be finalised, he said: "We hope to submit the report within a short time after the discussions conclude."

The interim government formed the 23-member National Pay Commission-2025 in late July, with former Finance Secretary Zakir Ahmed Khan as chairman. The gazette notification specified that the commission must submit its report to the government within six months from the date of its first meeting.

After a long gap, the interim government set up this commission to prepare a new pay structure for government employees.

Government stance and employee demands

Following the formation, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed had said the new pay scale would be effective during the current government's tenure. But recently, he indicated that the next elected government would decide on the matter. This shift has caused dissatisfaction among employees.

In reaction, Secretary-General of the Joint Council of Secretariat Employees Badiul Kabir said: "Since the interim government formed the pay commission, it should also implement the new pay scale. If the recommendations are not submitted by 30 November, pressure will be mounted on the commission. We are also hinting at broader programmes."

He said discussions are ongoing to unite all employee organisations on one platform for the demand.

Bangladesh Employees Welfare Federation Secretary Khair Ahmed recently told The Daily Campus: "We are talking with various organisations. If our demands are not met within the given timeframe, we will not hesitate to take any programme to press for them."

Employee federations gear up

The Bangladesh Secretariat Employees Joint Council, along with 12 other employee organisations, has formed a platform to push for the demand. These include six associations of primary school teachers, 11-20 Grade Government Employees Forum, Bangladesh Employee Development Forum, 17-20 Grade Government Employees Association, Office Staff and Guards Association, Inter-University Employees Association, and Bangladesh Railway Employees League. The Central Association of Government Drivers has also expressed solidarity.

Abdul Malek, spokesperson for the Employee Welfare Federation, said: "Employees need a place of assurance. If the gazette for the new pay scale is issued in December, they will feel relieved. The government can then implement it from 1 January next year, giving six months' arrears if needed. But the new pay scale must be introduced."

Analysts' view

Analysts say revising government salaries is a natural process. Controversy erupts every time a new pay scale is introduced, which is not unfounded. Prices rise immediately after, affecting non-government employees. Thus, discussions arise across all sectors.

However, inflation has risen despite no new pay scale for years. The tax-to-GDP ratio remains low. Although GDP has grown over the past 17 years, revenue collection has not kept pace. Recent economic slowdown has further reduced revenue, leading the interim government to push the pay scale decision to the next administration.

The last national pay scale (8th) was introduced in 2015, with employees receiving 5 per cent annual increments. They have been stuck in the same scale for nearly 10 years, making a raise necessary. But simply increasing salaries won't ease public life; revenue growth and narrowing the government-private sector pay gap are equally important, many feel.

On 14 November, the Bangladesh Government Employees Rights Realisation United Council held a rally at the National Press Club, warning of tough programmes if the new pay scale gazette is not issued by 15 December and implemented from 1 January.

11-20 Grade Government Employees Forum General Secretary Mahmudul Hasan recently told The Daily Campus: "Talks are ongoing with various organisations in phases. If demands are not met within the deadline, protests in districts, a grand rally in Dhaka, sit-ins and work abstention could follow."