Daily wagers to get pay raise

ABBOTTABAD:

The Abbottabad Water and Sanitation Services Company (WSSCA) Saturday assured sanitation workers of a salary increase after successful negotiations.

The agreement came during discussions held at the residence of Zahid Sheikh, General Secretary of the Sanitation Workers Union TMA Abbottabad, which led to the acceptance of their demands.

The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government had approved a budget that included a salary increase for daily wage workers to 36,000 PKR and a 25 per cent raise for permanent employees. The Sanitation Workers Union TMA Abbottabad initiated peaceful protests due to the non-payment of these raises and threatened to go on strike if their demands were not met. According to the details, WSSCA Abbottabad's HR department officials met with Zahid Sheikh, provided assurances regarding the approval of their charter of demands, prompting the union to postpone their protest. The demands included a 25 per cent salary increase, promotions for supervisors, regularization of contract employees, provision of complete uniforms and equipment, a 20 per cent increase in deputation allowances, restoration of drivers' increments, and the filling of vacancies.

Previously, sanitation workers continued their duties without uniforms as a form of protest for the approval of their demands. Zahid Sheikh highlighted that despite multiple notifications to the WASA administration, no action had been taken on their requests prior to the negotiations.