Job security: Water Management Dept workers seek regularization

MULTAN:

Nearly 400 contractual employees of the Water Management Department on Wednesday staged a demonstration, seeking regularisation of their jobs. The demonstration was led by Contract Employees’ Association president Saeed Azhar Gardezi.

Talking to newsmen, Gardezi said 1,800 workers had been employed by the Water Management Department. He said earlier, these workers were part of the National Programme for Improvement of Water Courses but after the 18th Amendment, they were moved to the Punjab Irrigated Productivity Improvement Project (PIPIP).

He said the government had earlier announced regularisation of jobs of employees of other departments. He said the chief minister should take notice of the work conditions of contractual employees of the Water Management Department. “They work in terrible conditions and lack job security,” he said.

“It is unfair to have an inconsistent policy on regularisation of employees.”

He said it was unfortunate that workers seeking permanent jobs had to demonstrate in streets for their rights.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 13^th, 2014.