Salary delay sparks uproar among PR employees

Workers union warn nationwide demonstrations next week

LAHORE/RAWALPINDI:

Pakistan Railways has failed to pay salaries to its employees so far due to the severe financial crisis, which has caused extreme distress among the employees.

Pakistan Railways Employees (PREM) Union (CBA) has protested at diesel engine shed in Lahore for the delay in current month salaries’ payment, saying that “only a few days are left until Eidul-Adha”.

Prem Union Lahore President Fiaz Ahmed Shahzad, Secretary Khizar Hayat Baig, Senior Vice President Muhammad Jameel Malik, and organizer Haji Aziz Madi have appealed to the Railways Minister Saad Rafique and CEO Arshad Salam Khattak to resolve the issue of salaries.

Please note that these were not advance payments but the salaries that were supposed to be received on specified dates and have still not been paid, causing severe restlessness among the employees.

Workers union central leader Nasir Mujtaba demanded immediate payment of salaries, otherwise, he warned, protest demonstrations would be held at stations across the country next week.

Generally, as the convention has it, government employees get advance salary of the upcoming month on the occasion of eid. This delay in the monthly payment – not the advance upcoming month salary – has caused the discontentment among employees as they had already been expecting double salaries this month to arrange for the sacrificial animal for the holy occasion.