Non-Payment Of Dues: Contractors to protest from Monday
In order to make their voices heard, the contractors had abandoned work on several projects .
GILGIT:
Infuriated by non-payment of dues for the past one year, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Contractors Association has threatened to launch a protest from Monday. According to the contractors, they have not been paid for the work in the aftermath of the last year’s floods. They said that the indifferent attitude of the government had forced them to come out on the streets. The protest, according to the association, would continue until their payments, amounting over Rs10 million, are released. They also threatened to go on a hunger strike if the government failed to fulfill their demands. “It has been over one year but we haven’t received our payments and it is impossible for us to continue working now,” said a contractor. In order to make their voices heard, the contractors abandoned work on several projects earlier but their efforts did not bear any fruit. G-B Minister for Works Bashir Ahmed, however, assured that the issue will be settled ‘soon’.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2011.
Infuriated by non-payment of dues for the past one year, the Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) Contractors Association has threatened to launch a protest from Monday. According to the contractors, they have not been paid for the work in the aftermath of the last year’s floods. They said that the indifferent attitude of the government had forced them to come out on the streets. The protest, according to the association, would continue until their payments, amounting over Rs10 million, are released. They also threatened to go on a hunger strike if the government failed to fulfill their demands. “It has been over one year but we haven’t received our payments and it is impossible for us to continue working now,” said a contractor. In order to make their voices heard, the contractors abandoned work on several projects earlier but their efforts did not bear any fruit. G-B Minister for Works Bashir Ahmed, however, assured that the issue will be settled ‘soon’.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 20th, 2011.