KMC fails to pay employees’ salaries

KMDC and Abbasi Shaheed Hospital's 600 employees are unpaid for the last four months

KARACHI: The boycott of dental OPD and academic process by the employees of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and Karachi Medical and Dental College (KMDC) against non-payment of salaries entered its 19th day on Tuesday.

Due to the financial crisis, the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) has not been able to pay salaries of Abbasi Shaheed Hospital and KMDC's 600 employees for the past four months, which include both the teaching and non-teaching staff.

More than 1,800 students of KMDC are worried about their future due to the boycott of classes by teachers since October 18.

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"Sindh chief minister released a bailout package of Rs90 million over our protest, which was enough to pay our two-month [outstanding] salary, but the money couldn't make its way to us," said KMDC's action committee spokesperson while talking to The Express Tribune.

Moreover, the Sindh government has reduced the amount of Rs90 million to Rs45 million. "We don't know that on what basis the money has been deducted," the spokesperson said.

The protesters went to the KMC office to meet Karachi Mayor Waseem Akhtar, but they could not meet him. According to the spokesperson, the mayor does not have any plan for the payment of salaries.

"We are always told that they do not have the budget," the spokesperson said. "We haven't received salaries for the last four months, which is affecting our lives."

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2019.