Court bars SSGC from hiring new staff

Issues directive after existing company employees filed case

KARACHI:

A court of law has barred Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC) from hiring new workforce, mostly on officer’s positions, after existing employees approached the court to get overdue promotions which have been on hold for several years.

“The defendants (SSGC’s higher management) are directed to act strictly in accordance with the employment policy and no recruitment shall be made in violation and contrary to the employment policy till the next date of hearing (November 4, 2020),” the Sindh High Court said in an interim order dated October 19, 2020.

An SSGC employee, who was among those awaiting promotions, told The Express Tribune that an officers’ association had filed the case pleading the court to ban new recruitments and they should be promoted into the next grade.

He said the management had already taken written tests and viva of the employees and opted to hire new human resources instead of promoting the existing employees.

He added that the management had promoted general managers and employees falling in grade 7-8, but withheld promotions of officers falling in grade 2-6. “There are some 500-600 employees waiting for promotion since 2013.”

The court’s interim order reads that counsel of the petitioner draws attention of the court to the promotion policy of SSGC for the year 2017-18, wherein it is mentioned that “this orientation will help in familiarisation with the assessment centres so they can be promoted on merit only”.