M. Rafiqul Islam

THE 7th pay commission for government employees recommended Tk.45.000, 37.700. 32.600. 28,850. 26,230. 20,800, 16.900. 13.750. 12500. 9.300. 7.000. 6.400. 6.000. 5,600. 5,300. 5,000, 4.700, 4,400, 4,200 and 4,000 for the grades 1 to 20. respectively. There is an imbalance between the higher and the lower scales, in the number of grades in different statistical classes or ranges, and many other disparities -• like the previous pay scales including the last one activated in 2005. Even, the current commission suggested more discrepancies as clarified below:

In Chart A, each small triangle indicates the starting basic pay of a specific grade. The chart shows that the pay commission proposed the lower 10 grades (Grades 20 to 11) in the 1st segment of the Y-axis ranging from Tk.4,000 to Tk.7,000. Accordingly, considering the same trend of enhancement, the next 10 grades (Grades 10 to 1) would have been placed in the next segment of Tk.7,000-10.000. In that case. Tk. 10.000. at best, will be the basic pay for Grade 1. But basic of this grade is proposed to be fixed upward in the next 12th segment (Tk.4 3.000-46,000).

An expected repairing: A top-level government employee does not

deserve a basic pay of only Tk. 10.000 per month, rather we support Tk.45.000 for them. We also do not think that basic pay of Tk.4,000 per month is sufficient for the lowest grade employee He deservesTk. 18.000.

In that case, the basics will be Tk.45.000. 43.560. 42.140. 40.720. 39.300. 37.880. 36.460. 35.040. 33.620, 32.200. 30.780. 29.360. 27.940. 26.520. 25,100. 23,680. 22,260. 20.840. 19,420 and 18.000 for all the grades 1 to 20, respectively, considering an equal difference between any two consecutive grades.

Chart B shows 2 grades, on an average. in every segment in the Y-axis with a range of Tk.3.000 (for example: Tk. 18.000-21.000. 21.000-24.000. ... 4 2,000-4 5.000. etc ). It also indicates a gradual enhancement of basic pays with an equal slope.

Crude Paradox: It is clear that if Tk.45.000 is justified for grade 1, then Tk.4,000 is unjust for grade 20. If Tk.4,000 is justified for grade 20. then Tk.45.000 is unjust for grade 1. We conclude that the commission s proposal islogically nothing but a paradox! Boomerang theory: Line charts of the basic pays of all the six pay scales executed by the government since our independence show a boomerang shape. From a geometrical view, every line graph is like an angle having two sides, like a boomerang (Chart A). A

boomerang is a weapon that returns to the thrower.

The boomerang-shaped linegraphic pay scale is repeatedly loaded on the government employees. The differences in the basic pays of different grades were never equitable or balanced, so their line-graphs were always angle-shaped rather than straight line (Chart B). Boomerang also means "to rebound."

Actually, this kind of imbalanced pay scale weakens the structure. In this perspective, it is self-destructive for the government. So, "boomerang," in both senses of the word, applies to the execution of the pay scales!

Prison cell theory: The non-gazetted government employees of Grade 11-20 are imprisoned in a pay class of Tk.4,000-7,000. Chart A also shows one grade per segment from Tk.7,000-10,000 to 43,000-46,000. But, the low-

est segment (Tk.3,000-7.000) has 10 grades! Is it logical, in any aspect? The range of the segment is only Tk.3,000. As if 10 outlaws were imprisoned in a prison cell with an area of 3,000 square inches (i.e. about 20 square feet)! Like the prisoners, the government employees of grades 20-11 (i.e. of Class IV and Class III) are living in an inadequate pay-range. As a result, they are not able to even breathe peacefully!

Top-bottom ratio: The commission proposed the top-bottom ratio as 11.25:1. The reviewed proposal is for 9.75:1 in the reports of July 2! It is even higher than the current one (9.6:1). The ratio is 5:1 in Japan and 6:1 in the US

Last words: This analysis is a general one. Gross Domestic Product per capita, enhancement of price index and other socio-economic factors are not considered. They are to be consid-

ered by the pay commission and the approving authorities. We are ready to accept all justified differences, but they should be of single parameter.

Difference in multi-parameter implies nothing but suppression of the employees in the lower half of the national pay structure. We suggest that after fixing of the basic pays for the top and the bottom grades, the difference between them should be equally distributed among the in-between grades. We also showed that if the basic pay of the top grade is fixed at Tk.45,000, the basic pay of the bottom grade should be fixed at Tk. 18,000.

Our desire is to have a straight linegraph of the basic pays, not a line-graph in an angular shape like a boomerang. The line should be with equal slope. In that case the difference between any two consecutive grades will be the same. We could observe in additional

analysis that the discrepancies clarified in this article are not different from those present in the last 6 pay scales. Always the line graphs were as angular as a boomerang! The lowest segment of every bar-chart was crowded with excessive grades, the lowest statistical class was full to the brim. Actually, without removal of the structural weakness and discrepancy, the employees of Class III and Class IV will not be free from disparity and deprivation.

Latest: The commission s report has been reviewed by the committee of secretaries, and will be submitted to the prime minister with a slight change. The change is not significant according to the newspaper reports on July 2. The analysis of the commission's recommendations will be applicable to the reviewed one.

M Rafiqui Islam. MSS (Econ), DU.

****It is clear that if Tk.45.000 is justified for grade 1, then Tk.4,000 is unjust for grade 20. If Tk.4,000 is justified for grade 20, then Tk.45.000 is unjust for grade 1.*****