After teaching at the Bangladesh International School (English Section) in Jeddah, at least six teachers suddently found themselves to be jobless and staged a sit-in protest at the school premises to challenge their termination allegedly without any prior notice. The sacking, they said, came before the holidays or end of classes. “We are six teachers here who have suddenly been terminated at the end of 10 working months at the school,” said Uzma Iqbal, one of the sacked teachers. At first, they said, the school did not give them their full pay for 12 months and gave them only one month for the 11th and 12th month's pay. But when they protested, the school agreed to give the full two month's pay.. “We only received a month's payment when we are supposed to receive a two-month salary (for the 11th and 12th month). When we joined the school we were told that we would be paid for 12 months,” said Iqbal.. “They just terminated us without giving any reason and told us that they are not going to pay us the last two month's pay which we deserve after working hard throughout the academic year,” she rued. Razia Mazharuddin said they were terminated when the new school management came in. “The school didn't sign any contract with us and they say that we don't have any right to speak for our rights,” said Mazharuddin. Sources at the school told the Saudi Gazette the new management does not know about any rules of the education ministry on firing teachers and said it was a prerogative of the school to hire and fire. “Teachers have no right to protest because the school management has all the authority to terminate teachers. Those teachers were given one month salary according to the school regulations,” said a school official who did not want to be named. The sources said the salary issue has been resolved because the school has agreed to give the teachers full pay. But the sacked teachers still fumed, this time over the school's alleged refusal to issue their “experience letter.” “The board of directors agreed to give us salary for two months but they withheld our experience letter. They have issued an experience letter to one of us, but then for what reason are they denying the letter to the others,” said teacher Somaiya Patel. Umma Natrajan, an IT teacher at the school, wouldn't accept the reason for her termination. “I have been working in this school for the last six years with good reputation. Now they terminated me without any reason and prior notice.” Natrajan said the management has told them the school has hired new teachers and wants a place for the new recruits, although the reason given in her termination letter was that the school would make a reshuffle of the teaching staff. “These are contradictory statements,” she declared.“I cannot accept this reason, We should be respected by the (school) authorities. We are degree-holder teachers and have master's,” she said. Aftab Hassan, labor consul at the Bangladesh consulate, said he will look into the matter “and solve the problem according to the law of ministry of education. The board members have the right of hire and terminate staff.” Hassan said the consulate just observes the activities of the school and assist in its functions. Eng. Mazharuddin, husband of teacher Razia Mazharuddin, came to the support of his better-half. “My wife called me and told me that the management is misbehaving with her and she is in the school since morning without any food till this late night,” he said during the sit-down strike. A school board member said the teachers were given the termination letters and one month salary, but they refused. “They were told that the board members will sit together and think about this matter to reconsider their request, but they stayed till late at night rather go back to their homes. This is an unprofessional behavior.” He said the sacked teachers were locally hired and that the school authorities have decided not to rehire them anymore. “The locally hired teachers have an agreement with the school that the school authorities can terminate them any time,” he said An official of the school told the Saudi Gazette on the condition of anonymity that the school will give the teachers their experience letters “but after the school holidays.”
