KMC employees’ suffering far from over

Court gives another week to govt to make payments.

KARACHI: The 50,000 employees of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) may have to suffer for another few days to get their salaries and pensions.

The Sindh High Court on Tuesday gave a week’s time to the provincial chief secretary and finance secretary to ensure the payment of salaries and pension to these employees. Headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, the division bench passed this direction on a petition regarding non-payment of salaries to the employees. KMC’s workers union Sajjan had cited the civic agency and the provincial government as respondents.

“Thousands of KMC employees, including the fire brigade department staff, have not been paid salaries for the last two to three months,” claimed the petition.

Even though the Sindh chief minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah had promised to release Rs850.2 million every month for the payment of salaries to KMC employees, but the Sindh government has not released any amount for last two to three months “without assigning any reason”, he added.

On Tuesday, a provincial law officer told the judges that he had given the SHC order to the relevant secretaries. He requested, however, that more time may be granted to enable the authorities ensure compliance.

Allowing his request, the bench directed the government officials to ensure that the order issued earlier was complied with by February 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 13^th, 2013.