Unpaid WASC workers go on warpath

Union warns of shutting down sewerage, water supply system

HYDERABAD:

The Hyderabad Development Authority (HDA) Mehran Workers Union staged a protest in front of the Hyderabad Press Club against the non-payment of salaries for the past six months to the Water and Sanitation Corporation (WASC) employees and pensions to retirees.

The union has also indicated that if salaries and pensions are not released, they will move ahead from protest to a compolete strike, which could stop the drainage of sewage and supply of water in the city during Muharram. The entire responsibility will lie with the Managing Director of Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation.

The protest was led by Union President Niaz Chandio, Senior Vice Chairman Ashiq Qambrani, and General Secretary Muhammad Aslam Abbasi.

The protesters chanted slogans demanding the approval of their demands. Abbasi said that HDA accounts had a balance of over Rs80 million a few days ago, which was spent recklessly by the administration in the name of rain emergency, showing no concern for the suffering employees.

He alleged that the administration had been misusing the monthly recovery amount for over two years and demanded that the new governing body conduct a commercial audit of the amount from a neutral firm.

They demanded from the WASA administration to immediately pay all the outstanding salaries of the employees and implement the payment of the minimum wage approved by the Sindh government in the current budget from July 1. They warned that if their demands are not met immediately, they will announce their future course of action, and the administration will be solely responsible for the consequences.

Meanwhile, Abbasi said nothing has changed at WASA although it got the status of a corporation and a board of directors. Citizens and hundreds of employees of WASA continue tpo suffer the official apathy of the organisation.

Water shortage continues in the city to detriment of the citizens, while more than 300 officers and officials and 1,000 pensioners of WASA remain unpaid for the last six months, he said.

At this time, the families of the organization's laborers and pensioners are forced to live a life of hunger and poverty. He said that we strongly demand from the Government of Sindh, Mayor Hyderabad, and the Chairperson of the board formed by Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation, Kashif Shoro, including Commissioner Hyderabad, that the six months' outstanding salaries of the Water and Sewerage Corporation employees be paid immediately.