Pressing demands: PEF workers go on ‘silent’ protest

Rules violated in appointment of managing director, protesters say.

LAHORE:

The staff of the Punjab Education Foundation head office observed a strike on Wednesday by locking their offices and staging a silent sit-in to protest “corruption and irregular and illegal recruitment”.

The protesters included 50 workers from the IT department and the New School Programme.

The protesters said the appointment of the managing director of PEF had violated the rules.

Talking to The Express Tribune, one of the protesters said the job had not been advertised.

The official who said he had been affiliated with PEF over six years, said no requisition had been sent to request a government employee on deputation for the post.

He said the PEF staff had reservations about the appointment and their concerns had been conveyed to the management since March 2013.

The protesters said they had drafted an eight-point agenda that would be presented to the chief minister.

The demands include revisiting the MD’s appointment and other irregular appointments, inquiry into allegation of Rs6 million corruption at the PEF cash office and delay in the renewal of contracts of 132 employees.

The protesters said as many as 60 irregular recruitments had been made from November 2013 to January 2014.

“This is a silent protest. We had no option... except to go on a strike,” said another PEF worker.

“Some of us have been called by the MD’s office but now we... want to take our concerns to the chief minister,” he said.

PEF Managing Director Aneela Salman, who took charge in September 2013, was not unavailable for comments. Her office dismissed the allegations.

Additional Communications Director Qudratullah said Salman was on deputation.

He said that since she had been directly appointed by the government, there was no need for a public advertisement regarding the post.

He also denied financial misappropriation.

“There is no truth to these claims. The PEF has an efficient and transparent audit system,” he said.

Qudratullah also denied that any demands had been communicated to the MD’s office.

“There was no strike. Routine operations were performed throughout the day,” he said.

He also denied that the MD’s office had contacted any of the protesting officials for negotiation.

The protesting staff said that they intended to continue their strike on Friday during working hours at the PEF head office.

They demanded that an independent inquiry be ordered by the chief minister. They said a protest in front of the PEF head office is planned from Monday if the issue are not addressed.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2014.