Eid on the horizon: Unpaid workers call off strike

Employees had been observing an eight-hour strike at 4 filtration plants, 24 drainage pumping stations since Tuesday.

HYDERABAD: The Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa) currently owes nearly Rs210 million to over 3,000 employees, who have not been paid for the last six months. The agency’s joint action committee only called off its strike on Friday after they had conveyed their grievances to Hyderabad Metropolitan Corporation administrator Barkat Rizvi on Friday. The employees had been observing an eight-hour strike, from 10:00 am to 6:00 pm, at four filtration plants and 24 drainage pumping stations since Tuesday.  “We know from experience that promises from officials or the government will not do anything. We want the money transferred into our accounts,” said the committee’s leader, Behram Chang. Rizvi assured the staff that their four-month salary will be transferred into their accounts before Eidul Azha. “The provincial government has assured that it will release Rs150 million by Tuesday, which will be immediately transferred to the employees’ accounts,” the HMC administrator told the committee’s members.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 22^nd,  2012.