Anti-dengue drive: Women volunteers demand salaries

Health Executive District Officer Dr Arshad Ali Sabir assures protesters dues would be cleared by Feb 8

RAWALPINDI: Female daily wagers, hired by the district government for anti-dengue drives, took to the streets on Wednesday to protest against the non-payment of their salaries.

Around 30 women protested outside District Coordination Officer Sajid Zafar Dall’s office over the non-payment of their salaries for the past four months.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a female worker, on condition of anonymity, said the government had not paid them salaries against their three-month contracts.

She said female workers were forced to protest because their supervisors had turned a cold shoulder to them.

The woman said she started working for the drive on October 10, 2015 and had received no pay from the Punjab government.

She said their contracts said they would be paid Rs 14,400 per month.

The worker further stated that although the government had renewed their contracts, it had failed to clear their dues.

She said that initially, a team of two female workers had to visit 40 houses every day to monitor the household. The number of houses was later reduced to 30.

“I took the job to support my family. I have to spend Rs200 to Rs250 on fares every day and cannot continue to work without my salary,” she stated.

The district government, with approval from the Punjab government, had hired some 700 workers to support the district health department in the campaign.

Health Executive District Officer Dr Arshad Ali Sabir held a meeting with the protesting female workers in the DCO’s office. The health official assured the workers that they would be paid by February 8. Dr Sabir was not available for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 4^th,  2016.