Railways employees want provident fund for colleague suffering from cancer released

More than 100 employees protest against accounts dept’s ‘negligence’.

MULTAN:

At least 100 railway employees protested on Monday against the railways accounts department of Multan division for not issuing the provident fund grant to one of their colleague suffering from cancer.

The protesting employees gathered in front of the Multan division office and shouted slogans against the department. They also blocked the road using official vehicles and by burning tyres.

They said Muhammad Tahir has been working as an SS fitter. Several months ago, he was diagnosed with liver cancer. He had submitted an application to the account department seeking the release his provident fund so that he could pay for the treatment.

They said more than four months had passed but the accounts department officials had not given him a response.

The protest was led by Saleem Khan Dahar, secretary general of the railway carriage and wagon staff union. Talking to The Express Tribune, he said that some employees had voluntarily collected Rs100,000 to help Tahir. He said they had requested for another Rs100,000 from other colleagues. He said the money was not enough for Tahir’s treatment. He said provident fund release was an employee’s right and the department could not deprive them of it.



The protesters said they planned to continue the protest and would boycott work if Tahir was not given his provident fund. Muhammad Shahid, another protester, said that the patient was in a critical condition. He said the department was apathetic to his condition and what his family were going through.

He said some other employees had also tried to approach the officials concerned, but they were told “it would take time”.

They demanded that the government take action against the Railways deputy secretary and other officials concerned.

They later dispersed when some senior accounts officials arrived on the scene and assured the protesters that immediate action will be taken on the matter.

DS Muhammad Ali Rajpar said he had called a delegation of employees to meet him at his office on Tuesday (today).

He told The Express Tribune that he was unaware of the application. He said he would take action against anybody found neglecting their duties.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 15^th, 2013.