LHWs protest

It is pretty discouraging for efficient female workforce to be working like daily-wage earners for years and years

It took six days and 10 rounds of talks for the Express Chowk, located near the Parliament House in Islamabad, to be cleared of the protesting lady health workers. These health workers were among the thousands of employees from various government departments who had camped out at the edge of the Red Zone on October 14 in order to protest what they call low salaries and absence of any pay structure. Lack of security was also among the issues that the hundreds of protesting lady health workers — who also render their services during vaccination campaigns in the country — raised with the government.

All the protesters — save for the lady health workers — left after their negotiations with government representatives failed. But the lady health workers refused to give up until the acceptance of their demands despite being faced with challenges like: no blankets to protect them from the weather that had started turning cold; no access to sanitation facilities; and no proper arrangement for eating, and drinking water. Their resilience paid and a 10^th round of talks with the government proved successful for them — but only to the extent of the Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Ali Mohammed Khan, agreeing to the formation of a committee to resolve all the issues within three months.

It is hoped that the genuine demands of the thousands of lady health workers across the country — who have been instrumental in the success of the various immunisation campaigns as well as other health related initiatives, including those concerning population control — will be met within the promised three months’ period. It is pretty discouraging for this efficient female workforce to be working like daily-wage earners for years and years, with no service structure to ensure them job security, an annual increment in salary and post-retirement benefits.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 21^st, 2020.

Like Opinion & Editorial on Facebook, follow @ETOpEd on Twitter to receive all updates on all our daily pieces.