Govt employees resent deductions from salary

LAHORE: Government employees are unhappy about the deductions from their pay for contribution towards flood relief. Religious scholars agree with them, ruling that the government does not have the right to take away from its workers, even if it is for charity.  The scholars have said that salaries are the wages of the employees and as such should be given in full.

Both provincial and federal governments had asked their employees to donate for the rehabilitation of flood victims.  However, rather than leaving this decision up to workers, the government deducted money from the salaries of its employees in August.  Now the employees have been informed that there will be further deductions in September.

All employees in Grade 17 and above have had two days’ salary deducted and transferred to the flood relief account.  Those in Grades 5 to 16 have had one day’s salary deducted. Employees from Grades 1 to 4 are exempt from this deduction.

The employees say that the forced deduction by the government is unfair.  They point out that a number of private groups have donated to the rehabilitation of the flood victims but none of them made any compulsory deductions from their employees’ salaries; every person was given a choice on donation.

The employees said that as Eid approaches, they look for a bonus but the government has instead cut their salary.

Officers in Grade 17 and above said that they were given less raise because of seniority but deductions from their wages were larger even as a proportion.

“I work in Grade 18. Rs1,600 was deducted from my salary,” said a Finance Department official. He said he had already made a private donation but there was no way to account for that.

All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) central president Muhammad Afzal said that the workers resented the government’s decision. “The majority of employees are already living in miserable conditions. Some even need financial assistance. The government was wrong about this compulsory deduction,” he said adding that they had borne the pay cut for one month but now the government had announced its decision to deduct salaries for September as well. He said previous governments used to pay bonuses to the employees.

“We don’t demand a bonus. We know the financial problems of the government but at least we should be given our salary,” Afzal said adding that the law does not allow the government to deduct from salaries.

Mufti Muneebur Rehman, a religious scholar, said it would have been better if the government had asked its employees to donate willingly. He said forced deductions do not fall into the category of charity.

Jamia Banoria principal Mufti Muhammad Naeem Khan condemned the action of the government terming it an illegal and anti-Islamic act. He said the government should have appealed for donations rather than deducting salary. “Islam does not allow the government to deduct wages,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 8^th, 2010.