Sanitary workers protest strict health authority rules

Demand restoration of their weekly off-days

RAWALPINDI:

Female contractual anti-dengue sanitary employees staged a protest outside the office of the District Health Authority (DHA) against the strict conditions introduced for their regularisation.

The protesters demanded that their holidays, which have been suspended by the authority for the next three months as it embarks on an intensive anti-dengue campaign in the district, are restored, including the weekly holidays on Sunday.

The DHA, in a letter recently issued to the 1,250 sanitary patrol workers, had directed them to ensure they report for duties over the next three months, including on the gazetted weekly holiday, Sunday.

The workers were further instructed to come along with their appointment letters, service, and national identity cards along with an attested certificate from the related deputy district health officer (DDHO) to confirm their 100% attendance.

Speakers stress need to protect sanitary workers’ rights

DHA warned workers of punitive action, including dismissal from service, if they did not comply with the orders.

The protesting workers said that so far, no dengue virus case has been reported in the district but the health authority has suspended the weekly official holiday.

They maintained that the decision has created problems amongst their families.

Further, they asserted that DHA had conditioned their regularisation to 100 per cent attendance during the anti-dengue drive.

However, the two-hour-long protest proved futile as no DHA official spoke with the demonstrators.

Further, the sanitary patrol workers stated that the conditions devised by the DHA were more difficult than crossing the bridge over hell. They contended that the move intends to deprive them of their jobs.

 

Published in The Express Tribune, September 7^th, 2020.