Pay uncertainty leaves women workers in a fix

KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of female government servants are worried about a plan to cut their monthly salaries to 5,000 afghanis, but official sources say efforts are underway to address the issue.

On May 24, the Administrative Affairs Office wrote in a letter to the National Environmental Protection Authority (NEPA): “An order has been issued by the Amir-ul-Momineen, with the following details: Salaries of the female government workers, hired by previous rulers and paid by IEA, should be set at 5,000 afghanis in budgetary and non-budgetary units (the salaries of women should be fixed at 5,000 afghanis.”

Later, another letter was published on social media pages, in which the Ministry of Finance wrote that a principled action should be taken regarding the salaries of female employees.

The authorities concerned have not officially commented about the accuracy or incorrectness of the letters, but two sources have confirmed the validity of the order to Pajhwok Afghan News.

A proposal attributed to the Department of Finance and Accounts of the Ministry of Education has also been released on social media.

In the proposal, written on June 27, MoE confirmed receiving the order regarding pay cuts for female employees. But the ministry has an automatic salary system where lists are prepared in accordance with the attendance of employees.

The letter reads: “To implement the order from the leadership, the system needs to be adjusted based on the new order. Making these arrangements needs a lot of time.”

In this proposal, a clarification has been sought on the point where the order is applicable to all female workers or only those who receive salaries at home.

The proposal has not been confirmed yet by anyone.

Women workers’ concerns

A teacher at the Qala-i-Zaman Khan Girls’ High School told Pajhwok Afghan News she and many of her colleagues, facing economic problems, were extremely concerned about the letters circulating on WhatsApp.

She said: “Although two days ago, a person from the Kabul Education Department said in a voice message that the issue of teachers’ salaries has been resolved and teachers are exempt from this order, the release of female teachers’ salaries has been delayed until further notice.”

She expressed concern at the possible decrease in their salaries, saying her husband was paralysed and she had to make a living for a family of four.

The teacher added: “Our request to IEA is to reconsider its order about the salaries of female employees. Women have a high place in Islam. We hope the current Islamic system will respond to our Shariah-based request and avoid cutting our salaries.”

Shazia, a teacher at the Abu al-Qasim Ferdosi School in Kabul, held a similar view. She said the rumour about pay cuts for female employees had worried them.

She said, however, an official of MoE had assured the problem would be addressed and salaries of female employees would not be reduced.

She also complained other government employees had been paid their salaries, but the release of women’s pay had been postponed until further notice to clarify the confusion.

She also urged the caretaker government not to reduce the salaries of women workers.

Najiba, a teacher at the Nasir Khesraw Balkhi School, said: “I go daily to Shahr-i-Kohna School from Kart-i-Naw. I pay 2,500 afghanis a month in taxi fare. And have to deal with severe economic problems. I’m paid 8,000 afghanis. If my salary is brought down to 5,000 afghanis, what will we do? We are facing an uncertain fate.”

According to her, many women are haunted by economic woes and IEA should pay due attention to their problems. The authorities should not cut women’s salaries, she demanded.

A female employee in a department related to the Ministry of Information and Culture said women workers were currently facing many financial problems. If their salaries were slashed to 5,000 afghanis, their problems would multiply, she warned.

She said many female workers used their salaries to pay house rents, electricity and water bills and feed their family members.

Last week, reports were published on social media that women workers at four hospitals in Kabul had protested against reduction in salaries.

Meanwhile, two government sources told Pajhwok efforts were being made at a high level to clarify the order related to women’s salaries and to solve the problem.

sa/mud

 

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