Dengue workers demand 10-month salary

LAHORE: A large number of daily wagers, hired by the Sheikupura district government for its anti-dengue drive, held a protest outside the Punjab Assembly against the nonpayment of their salaries and sacking of trained staff.

Carrying placards and banners inscribed with slogans in favour of their demands, dozens of participants, including women, shouted slogans against the government. The demonstrators said they were demanding the payment of salaries for the last 10 months.

Some of the women protesters were even carrying their toddlers in the scorching weather.

The protesters shouted slogans against the Sheikhupura DCO, the health executive district officer (EDO), the health deputy district officer health and other senior district government officials.

They demanded the reinstatement of trained staff and payment of their dues for 10 months. Talking to the media, Hameeda Bibi, a protester, said the government had not paid them salaries which was a violation of their contract, adding the sacking of anti-dengue workers from service was also a sheer injustice.



“We were hired on the assurance that our jobs would be regularised after some time, but the government has gone back on its word by showing us the door after 10 months,” she remarked.

Another protester, Ahmed Ali, said the women started working for the anti-dengue drive 10 months ago and were yet to receive any payment from the Punjab government.

Amber Ali, another woman worker, said the government cancelled their contracts and that too without paying their wages. She said many like her took the job to support the family and it was not possible to work without a salary.

“A team of two women workers had to visit 40 to 60 houses each day to monitor the situation of dengue larva. They spent money from their own pockets for the exercise,” said demonstrator Idrees Shah.

He said thousands of employees from various departments were deprived of permanent contracts, which was an injustice.

He demanded the government immediately announce the regularisation of the dengue drive employees to bring the restlessness to an end.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 17^th, 2017.