Garbage gathers as sanitation workers strike

Protest against delayed payments as company hosts free iftar at Liaquat Bagh

RAWALPINDI: Even though Ramazan is one of the holiest months of the Islamic calendar, it seems that the agony of some workers of the sanitation company, tasked with keeping the city clean, will spill over into the streets and affect residents of the city as they refused to drive the garbage collection trucks on Monday.

The protest by workers of the company over delays in salaries comes even as it announced to organise free iftari for people in Liaquat Bagh.

Some 1,500 workers of a Turkish firm decided not to collect solid waste of the city on Monday, refusing to drive their garbage collection trucks, to protest the delay in releasing their salaries.

Following the lead of the drivers, sanitation staff of the company — which works in two shifts —endorsed the decision and also refused to work.

“Salaries are delayed every second month,” complained the protesters who had chosen to gather outside the Rawalpindi Press Club instead of going on their predetermined garbage collection routes.

The protesting workers said that the company appears disinterested in resolving issue pertaining to their salaries.

Some protesting drivers added that they are paid less than the drivers employed in Lahore to collect garbage.

Municipal Labor Union General Secretary Shahid Raza clarified that their salary cheques are issued by the Waste Management Company (WMC).

He added that the union will join the protest along with the staff of the Turkish firm if the issue is not resolved soon.

However, the cleanliness staff of Waste Management Company (WMC) continued working in the city on Monday to clean the streets.

Free iftar

Even as its employees complained of delays in salaries, the company arranged a grand iftar for residents of the city in Liaquat Bagh.

An official of the Turkish firm said that they will continue offering iftari to people at the park throughout the holy month of Ramazan.

The official added that the reason for holding the iftar was to promote fraternity between the company and the public and to send a message that their actions should help make it easy for the unprivileged of the society.

People from different segments of the society appreciated the company’s apparent virtuous act. 

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2019.