Health department plans to lay off 200 dengue workers

Employees work with Shalamar Town and most of them have completed 2 years

LAHORE: The health department is preparing to lay off at least 200 dengue workers and vaccinators working in Shalamar Town over lack of funds, The Express Tribune has learnt.

Anti-Dengue Workers Union Head Mudassir Hussain told The Express Tribune that two weeks ago, the health department had introduced the policy of making those employees permanent who had completed two years working with the department.

“Isn’t it unfair that they are preparing to kick out those who have completed one year and 10 months and have hardly one or two months left to complete their two years with the department,” said Mudassir.

“It is now time that the health department makes us permanent. We have been working with the department for the last one year and 10 months and instead of giving us confirmation letter, they are planning to sack us,” he added. “The health department’s decision would not be acceptable at any cost.”

The union leader noted that the department fired the 200 employees, the people of Shalamar Town will pay the price for it because it was dengue season. “If fumigation is not carried out, the residents will suffer from waterborne diseases,” he added.

He said Health Minister Khawaja Salman Rafique had taken the steps for the benefits of the poor workers of the department and all workers at Lahore District had been given the permanent status while the Shahlamar Town administration was treating the anti-dengue workers like a stepmother.



“We are about to complete our two years at the department and after two months we all should get job confirmation letters, but now they are planning to sack us,” he said.

Sajjad, a dengue worker, said: “I am the sole breadwinner of my family. Every day, I go to work but I don’t know whether I will have this job the next day or not.” He added that the health department should confirm their jobs if it was sincere with its employees.

When asked if they planned to go on a strike, he said they had not decided as yet when they should go for that option. “If they materialise their plan to lay off the staff, we will do something about as we are working on our strategy.”

The health department spokesperson told The Express Tribune that the department had already handed over permanent job letters to most of the contractual employees in Lahore district.

He added that the department had categorised some of them as contractual employees and some as daily wagers.

“Instead of putting pressure on the health department, they should wait for their turns to receive job confirmation letters,” he added.

“We will discuss this issue with the Shahlamar Town administration. If the employees have almost completed their two years with the department, they would be made permanent, thus, there is nothing to worry about,” he said.

The health department had recruited hundreds of workers for fumigation under the anti-dengue drive in Lahore.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 18^th, 2017.