Not enough: Clerks reject federal budget, demand 25 per cent salary raise

Hundreds hold protest demonstration outside Punjab Assembly

LAHORE: Punjab chapter of the All Pakistan Clerks’ Association (APCA) observed a pen-down strike on Tuesday across the province in protest against the federal budget. They also held a demonstration in front of the Punjab Assembly.

Hundreds of clerks from several government departments gathered outside the assembly chambers at 10am to protest against the budget and burned an effigy of the federal finance minister. They chanted slogans against the government, calling the budget “anti-poor”.



APCA’s Punjab chapter chairman Haji Irshad said that the clerical staff in all 36 districts of the province had held protests near DCO offices on Tuesday. He demanded that the finance minister be removed for presenting a budget that had no incentives for government employees.

The protesters blocked The Mall and the Queen’s Road for traffic. They carried black flags and placards with their demands written on them.

A large contingent of police was deployed at the Punjab Assembly gate. At around noon, more policemen reached the place and barricaded the road. The protesters demanded that the budget 2015-16 be amended before its approval by the National Assembly.

“The salary of government employees has only been raised by 7.5 per cent. This might be enough for an officer in grade 17 or above. However, it means an increase of only about Rs1,000 in a clerk’s salary. This is not enough considering the inflation,” he said. He said clerks wanted a 25 per cent raise in their salaries.

Irshad demanded that their pay scales be revised after merging all ad-hoc allowances announced for them since 2010. “The government has announced to merge only the ad-hoc allowances from years 2011 and 2012 with the basic pay,” he said. He also demanded the inclusion of house rent allowance in their salaries.

“APCA central chairman Muhammad Aslam Khan had held talks with the federal finance minister on June 3, 2015. The minister had assured him that all APCA demands be accepted. However, he did not keep his promise,” he said.

He said that APCA’s central committee had decided to hold more demonstrations across the country.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 10^th, 2015.