Out on streets….again: Clerks rally for service structure
Say the law minister had agreed to at least five demands.
Protesters seek implementation of demands agreed by a govt delegation after negotiations in June. PHOTO: ABID NAWAZ/EXPRESS
LAHORE:
Punjab Chapter of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) held a protest demonstration outside the Civil Secretariat on Monday.
The Punjab Civil Secretariat Employees Association, too, staged a protest outside the chief secretary’s office inside the Civil Secretariat to express solidarity with the APCA.
The APCA rally started from the Local Government Complex on Sanda Road at 10am. Clerks from all government departments gathered there and marched towards the Civil Secretariat. They chanted slogans against the Punjab government.
The protesters wore black armbands and carried placards.
Talking to The Express Tribune, APCA Punjab chapter Chairman Haji Irshad said that several government representatives, including Ministers Rana Sanaullah and Rana Mashhood, had held talk with them on March 26 and agreed to accept at least five of their demands. The demands included: time scale for promotion for all staff from grade 5 to 16; raising salaries of special education staff by 50 per cent according to the 2010 budget; up-grade of scales on the pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and up-grade of the post of superintendent to BPS-17.
“On June 15, we again held talks with Sanaullah. The minister assured us that our demands would be accepted before Eid. The government agreed to raise the salaries of the clerical staff in the Punjab by an additional 5 per cent to bring them at par with the salaries of clerical staff in other provinces; increase the minimum salary of Zakat and Ushr Department staff from Rs9,000 to Rs12,000; and revise scales after merging ad hoc allowances with basic pays,” he said.
He said none of the promises had been fulfilled.
Irshad gave the government seven days to issue a notification about the acceptance of the demands. “Otherwise, we will launch a nationwide strike against the government,” he said.
APCA Punjab leaders Lala Muhammad Aslam, Muzammil Hussain and Zafar Ali Khan also participated in the rally.
Irshad later said the chief secretary had assured them through his staff officers that a reminder had been sent to special secretary to the chief minister about the notification.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2015.
Punjab Chapter of the All Pakistan Clerks Association (APCA) held a protest demonstration outside the Civil Secretariat on Monday.
The Punjab Civil Secretariat Employees Association, too, staged a protest outside the chief secretary’s office inside the Civil Secretariat to express solidarity with the APCA.
The APCA rally started from the Local Government Complex on Sanda Road at 10am. Clerks from all government departments gathered there and marched towards the Civil Secretariat. They chanted slogans against the Punjab government.
The protesters wore black armbands and carried placards.
Talking to The Express Tribune, APCA Punjab chapter Chairman Haji Irshad said that several government representatives, including Ministers Rana Sanaullah and Rana Mashhood, had held talk with them on March 26 and agreed to accept at least five of their demands. The demands included: time scale for promotion for all staff from grade 5 to 16; raising salaries of special education staff by 50 per cent according to the 2010 budget; up-grade of scales on the pattern of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; and up-grade of the post of superintendent to BPS-17.
“On June 15, we again held talks with Sanaullah. The minister assured us that our demands would be accepted before Eid. The government agreed to raise the salaries of the clerical staff in the Punjab by an additional 5 per cent to bring them at par with the salaries of clerical staff in other provinces; increase the minimum salary of Zakat and Ushr Department staff from Rs9,000 to Rs12,000; and revise scales after merging ad hoc allowances with basic pays,” he said.
He said none of the promises had been fulfilled.
Irshad gave the government seven days to issue a notification about the acceptance of the demands. “Otherwise, we will launch a nationwide strike against the government,” he said.
APCA Punjab leaders Lala Muhammad Aslam, Muzammil Hussain and Zafar Ali Khan also participated in the rally.
Irshad later said the chief secretary had assured them through his staff officers that a reminder had been sent to special secretary to the chief minister about the notification.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 28th, 2015.