The All Pakistan Tenure Track Association (APTTA) has demanded that the TTS salary structures be strictly followed and that salaries be paid by the salary structure.
APTTA, the representative body of the Tenure Track System (TTS) faculty, said that this salary structure was approved by former Prime Minister, Imran Khan, in 2019 but no action has been taken.
The President and General Secretary of the association, Dr. Yasar Shah and Dr. Tanveer Shehzad, stated that there are 4,500 TTS faculty members in universities, but the actions or inaction of authorities are putting their futures at risk.
They added that the revised funding policy has serious repercussions for job security, annual increments, and promotion of the TTS faculty members in universities.
They stated that the revised funding policy will reduce the Higher Education Commission’s (HEC) share of TTS funding, which will hurt the faculty members.
They claimed that, despite being the best-performing component of university faculty for two decades, universities have stopped hiring new TTS faculty due to the revised policy.
APTTA has set a deadline of February 3 for the HEC to withdraw the new funding policy notification and reinstate the old funding policy, threatening to protest if the demands are not met.
HEC previously warned universities that faculty members who take on administrative roles will not have that time counted towards their TTS service and will be ineligible for TTS salary during that time.
Meanwhile, HEC Chairman, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmed, denied APTTA’s allegations and said that the policy was implemented in 2019-20 and that they have nothing to do with this.
However, Dr. Mukhtar clarified that he did not see any flaws in that policy because it was also a necessity in the country’s current economic situation.
“It is on record that the country needs more funds to assist deserving students so that they could enhance their capabilities which will benefit the country ultimately,” he said.
