APTTA welcomes approval of Technical Supplementary Grant by federal govt aimed at increasing salary for TTS faculty members 

ISLAMABAD, Jan 11 (SABAH): The All-Pakistan Tenure Track Association (APTTA) welcomes the approval of the Technical Supplementary Grant by the Federal Government, which aims to increase the salaries of faculty members under the Tenure Track System (TTS). 

This decision is a significant step towards recognizing the contributions made, and hardships faced, by TTS faculty members, whose salaries have been static since 2021. TTS faculty members have endured several years of unprecedented inflation (along with continuously enhanced taxes) without the benefit of a regular increase in their salaries.

APTTA extends its sincere gratitude to the Honorable Prime Minister of Pakistan, the Federal Minister of Finance, and the Federal Minister of Education, for their efforts in addressing the long-standing issue of salary stagnation for TTS faculty members. This projected increase will have a positive impact on the lives of thousands of faculty members and their families across Pakistan. 

Regarding Uniform Salary Structure, APTTA urges the authorities to ensure that the salary increase is applied uniformly across different cadres (Assistant Professors, Associate Professors and Professors) maintaining the same rate of increase as has been the practice since the introduction of the TTS in 2005. This will guarantee fairness and equity in the salary structure, preventing any potential disparities or anomalies. 

Regarding Standardized Salary Package, APTTA emphasizes the importance of maintaining a standardized salary package for all TTS faculty members across higher education institutions in Pakistan, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Azad Jammu and Kashmir. Since the introduction of the TTS in 2005, faculty members have been receiving the same salary package across the country, and we believe that this uniformity should be preserved to promote consistency and fairness.

Regarding BPS Package Reference, we also stress that the BPS package used as a reference for determining the TTS package should be either the one provided to employees of the Higher Education Commission (HEC) or the BPS package given to a federal university like Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad. This will ensure transparency and fairness in the salary calculation process. 

Furthermore regarding Automatic Salary Adjustment, we expect that the salary of TTS faculty members will be automatically raised by  the same percentage given to BPS employees (maintaining atleast 35% gap), whenever and whatever increase is given to BPS employees of federal universities. This will guarantee that TTS faculty members receive a fair and equitable salary adjustment. 

APTTA hopes that the authorities will take these concerns into consideration and ensure a fair and equitable implementation of the salary increase. We are committed to working with the government and other stakeholders to address the challenges faced by TTS faculty members and, in doing so, to promote the success and welfare of the higher education sector in Pakistan.