The Municipal Labour Union of the Waste Management Company staged a protest rally from the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation office to the Press Club on Saturday, warning that workers would stop work from September 1 if their demands were not met within 15 days. The union also announced plans to set up a protest camp and stage a sit-in until their demands are accepted.
The rally was led by union president Raja Haroon and general secretary Pastor Shahid Raza, and attended by thousands of sanitary workers, supervisors, and office-bearers.
Addressing the protesters, Raja Haroon said that it has always been customary to pay workers their wages before their sweat dries, but the current situation is worse. Despite working tirelessly during Eidul Azha to keep the city clean, workers have still not been paid their monthly allowance, even though senior officials had ordered its release.
He criticised the deputy commissioner, who also serves as chairman of the Waste Management Company, for consistently ignoring workers' rights.
He said the regularisation of nearly 900 employees has been repeatedly delayed under the pretext that it cannot proceed until the company's board is formed.
"Whenever it comes to workers' rights, the excuse of board formation is used to suppress the matter, but other tasks are carried out at will," Haroon said.
He also pointed out that government machinery has been lying in disrepair for years despite the availability of funds, yet no steps have been taken to fix it.
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