LAHORE: Government College University (GCU) Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Asghar Zaidi on Thursday wrote to Governor Chaudhry Sarwar to approve the disparity allowance of his university employees citing discrimination, inflation, tax revisions and huge gap in salaries as reasons.

Two days ago, the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association, Punjab chapter, announced a boycott of classes in all universities of the province after Aug 10 in protest against non-payment of disparity/special allowance to university teachers and other employees.

In the letter, VC Prof Zaidi brought the governor’s attention to disparities in salaries of government employees, saying “a structure of Unified Pay Scale was established in 1972 for all government servants. However, since 2009, disparity in salaries have occurred after various government establishments were allowed 100pc to 300pc of the basic pay as allowance”.

He also reminded the governor that the government did not allow any increase in salaries in the budget 2020-21.

“This tax revision, coupled with inflation, has had a serious adverse impact on government servants whose take-home salaries were actually reduced even in nominal terms,” he said.

The vice chancellor also wrote about recent discrimination with university employees, stating that special allowance has been granted to government employees BS (01-19) this year in July but it has been specified that it is not admissible to the employees of autonomous bodies.

“This categorisation has created discomfort and unrest among GCU employees,” he said.

The VC said he, being the competent authority, requested the governor to approve the grant of special allowance 2021 to GCU employees.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2021