Protest drive: APCA plans sit-in on March 25

LAHORE:

The All Pakistan Clerks’ Association (APCA) Punjab chapter on Tuesday suspended work at government offices across the province as part of an ongoing protest in support of a charter of demands including a service structure. 

APCA (Punjab chapter) president Haji Muhammad Irshad Chaudhary said suspension of work in all departments was a warning to the government. He said the association would limit its strike to the Labour Department on Wednesday. “A summary approved by the chief minister for upgrade of the post of superintendent to the basic payscale-17 does not mention any increase in the conveyance, house and medical allowances,” he said.

Chaudhary said clerks from across the province would gather at the Chief Minister’s Secretariat for a sit-in on March 25 if the government continued to ignore their demands.

He said one of their demands implemented by the government so far was also insufficient. “A summary approved by the chief minister for upgrade of the post of superintendent to the basic payscale-17 does not mention any increase in the conveyance, house and medical allowances,” he said.

Chaudhary said Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman had sought two weeks from the association for the implementation of its demands in a meeting held a month ago. However, he said, he had yet to hear back from the minister.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4^th, 2015.