Striking workers: Paramedics’ protest enters seventh day
Protesters demand release of hard-area and conveyance allowance.
BAHAWALPUR:
The protest by the paramedics at public hospitals demanding release of hard area allowance and conveyance allowance entered the seventh day on Monday.
Paramedics from Bahawal Victoria Hospital and Ladies Jubilee Hospital as well as other members of the All Pakistan Para Medical Staff Federation observed a full-day strike of the wards.
They took out rallies starting from the emergency wards of their respective hospitals that marched to Circular Road, where they staged a sit-in for four hours. Boycotting their duties for the entire day, they raised slogans for their demands to be met with immediate effect. Traffic on the Circular Road remained suspected for hours.
The protest was led by Muhammad Iqbal Badani, the All Pakistan Para Medical Staff Association central secretary general. He was joined by Farzana Nazi, the Para Medical Staff Association president (Bahawalpur chapter) and Monica Jalal, the Young Nurses Association president (Bahawalpur chapter).
Addressing the protesters, Badani said that the government should pay heed to the para medics’ protest and immediately take action according to the promises made to them earlier. He said if the government failed to do so, the paramedics would continue to the strike and the protests.
The speakers said that the paramedics were the backbone of the Health Department and must not be “taken for granted”.
They said facilities such as hard area allowance were their rights.
They gave the government seven days to fulfil the demands of the paramedics otherwise, they said, the strike would be extended across the Punjab. Nazi said that paramedics worked as hard as the doctors. “If doctors are eligible for the hard-area allowance, why not us?”
Also on Monday, some 100 SES Teachers Association office bearers set up a camp near Farid Gate and boycotted their duties.
The teachers staged their protest against the indifferent attitude of Executive District Officer (Education) Nasim Mansoor and accused her of misbehaving with the teachers and other staff members. They said her attitude towards her subordinates was “offensive and insulting”.
The protest was led by Nasreen Akhtar, the Teachers Association divisional president (female wing). She sought for the EDO’s transfer saying they would not work under a “rude and uncooperative” officer.
The Rahim Yar Khan divisional president, Mohammad Asif Akhter, also joined the protesters. He said if the EDO was not transferred somewhere else, the protest will be extended to Rahim Yar Khan. He said they planned to take up the issue with the chief minister, who will be visiting the city on Tuesday (today).
When asked, EDO Mansoor denied the allegations. She said opponents were propagation against her as some elements wanted to shift her to another district so that “they could run the offices the way they wanted.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2012.
The protest by the paramedics at public hospitals demanding release of hard area allowance and conveyance allowance entered the seventh day on Monday.
Paramedics from Bahawal Victoria Hospital and Ladies Jubilee Hospital as well as other members of the All Pakistan Para Medical Staff Federation observed a full-day strike of the wards.
They took out rallies starting from the emergency wards of their respective hospitals that marched to Circular Road, where they staged a sit-in for four hours. Boycotting their duties for the entire day, they raised slogans for their demands to be met with immediate effect. Traffic on the Circular Road remained suspected for hours.
The protest was led by Muhammad Iqbal Badani, the All Pakistan Para Medical Staff Association central secretary general. He was joined by Farzana Nazi, the Para Medical Staff Association president (Bahawalpur chapter) and Monica Jalal, the Young Nurses Association president (Bahawalpur chapter).
Addressing the protesters, Badani said that the government should pay heed to the para medics’ protest and immediately take action according to the promises made to them earlier. He said if the government failed to do so, the paramedics would continue to the strike and the protests.
The speakers said that the paramedics were the backbone of the Health Department and must not be “taken for granted”.
They said facilities such as hard area allowance were their rights.
They gave the government seven days to fulfil the demands of the paramedics otherwise, they said, the strike would be extended across the Punjab. Nazi said that paramedics worked as hard as the doctors. “If doctors are eligible for the hard-area allowance, why not us?”
Also on Monday, some 100 SES Teachers Association office bearers set up a camp near Farid Gate and boycotted their duties.
The teachers staged their protest against the indifferent attitude of Executive District Officer (Education) Nasim Mansoor and accused her of misbehaving with the teachers and other staff members. They said her attitude towards her subordinates was “offensive and insulting”.
The protest was led by Nasreen Akhtar, the Teachers Association divisional president (female wing). She sought for the EDO’s transfer saying they would not work under a “rude and uncooperative” officer.
The Rahim Yar Khan divisional president, Mohammad Asif Akhter, also joined the protesters. He said if the EDO was not transferred somewhere else, the protest will be extended to Rahim Yar Khan. He said they planned to take up the issue with the chief minister, who will be visiting the city on Tuesday (today).
When asked, EDO Mansoor denied the allegations. She said opponents were propagation against her as some elements wanted to shift her to another district so that “they could run the offices the way they wanted.”
Published in The Express Tribune, June 5th, 2012.