Federally Administered Tribal Areas: Redundant staff of child protection units demands reinstatement
Say they were promised permanent services four months prior to their sacking.
Say they were promised permanent services four months prior to their sacking. PHOTO: FILE
SHABQADAR:
The Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) child protection units have remained closed since February 2014 after its employees were sacked by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), four months before they were slated to be regularised.
Around 22 officers – a programme officer, six child protection officers, 12 monitoring officers, two agency focal persons and one administration officer – had been working in six child protection units in Fata since September 2010, shared a source at one of the units.
He added temporary staff was appointed by Unicef Pakistan at that time and has been working since. However, on February 15, 2014, Unicef sacked all the staff members without prior notice, he said, claiming there are some people in the programme who want to hire an entire new staff.
Insiders informed that the FATA Social Welfare Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with Unicef till 2017 while the government also approved an Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the said project, which would give the employees a permanent service contract in June 2014. The Unicef, however, sacked the old employees months before they could be granted permanent status.
“We worked in difficult times and now when the government approved the ADP for the scheme, they want to hire new employees of their personal liking. This is exploitation of the old staff,” said an employee, wishing not to be named. He warned to move court if they were not reinstated.
When contacted, an official of the social welfare department confirmed the report but said he could not share more information as the director was not present at the office.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2014.
The Federally Administrated Tribal Areas (Fata) child protection units have remained closed since February 2014 after its employees were sacked by the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef), four months before they were slated to be regularised.
Around 22 officers – a programme officer, six child protection officers, 12 monitoring officers, two agency focal persons and one administration officer – had been working in six child protection units in Fata since September 2010, shared a source at one of the units.
He added temporary staff was appointed by Unicef Pakistan at that time and has been working since. However, on February 15, 2014, Unicef sacked all the staff members without prior notice, he said, claiming there are some people in the programme who want to hire an entire new staff.
Insiders informed that the FATA Social Welfare Department has signed a memorandum of understanding with Unicef till 2017 while the government also approved an Annual Development Plan (ADP) for the said project, which would give the employees a permanent service contract in June 2014. The Unicef, however, sacked the old employees months before they could be granted permanent status.
“We worked in difficult times and now when the government approved the ADP for the scheme, they want to hire new employees of their personal liking. This is exploitation of the old staff,” said an employee, wishing not to be named. He warned to move court if they were not reinstated.
When contacted, an official of the social welfare department confirmed the report but said he could not share more information as the director was not present at the office.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 19th, 2014.