300 CAA janitors pay price for demanding permanent jobs

Protests were held at Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, Multan airports

KARACHI:

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) on Friday terminated 300 janitorial staff working on retainership after they staged a protest at Karachi and other airports demanding permanent employment.

According to a notification issued by the CAA, the contractual employees working at the Jinnah International Airport had been sacked.

“It is informed that the Service Level Agreement of the Janitorial and Cleaning Services at the JIAP (Jinnah International Airport), Karachi has been approved by the Competent Authority ie DG CAA. Hence, all janitors hired on the basis of retainership are disengaged with effect from March 31, 2023.”

The retainership employees, working on a contractual basis, at the CAA had been staging protests and sit-ins for almost 15 days over not being made permanent.

The protesters said that about 2,600 workers were employed on a retainership basis while 400 had been sacked, demanding of the authorities to make them permanent.

A special committee of the National Assembly had also directed the CAA administration to abolish the contractual system.

The demonstrations were held at Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta and Multan airports where female employees were also present.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aseefa Bhutto Zardari had also been a part of the protest.

Aseefa listened to the problems being faced by the workers. She expressed solidarity and promised her full support to their cause, saying the PPP would play its role in the reinstatement and make them permanent.