KARACHI, Sept 23: The clerical staff of income tax departments of Southern Region and Corporate region, Karachi went on strike on Saturday to press their demand for raising wages.
As a result of this sudden development all the working with regard to receiving of income tax returns for which September 30 is the last date came to a standstill.
The lower staff belonging to Upper Divisional Clerk (UDC) and Lower Divisional Clerk (LDC) along with field inspectors by mid-day on Saturday suddenly stopped the work and also forced other staff members of the local tax offices to join them and came out of their offices.
For quite some time there had been restlessness among lower staff members of the Central Board of Revenue (CBR) over the issue of wages. There had been strong demand that their salary and wages should also be doubled as had been done in the case of those who were transferred to newly-established Large Taxpayers Unit (LTU) and Medium Taxpayers Unit (MTU) under a reform agenda being carried with the assistance of the World Bank.
Besides, there is also a growing concern among the 32,000 plus staff members of the CBR that with the automation and computerisation a very large number of lower staff may lose their jobs.
Already the newly-established LTU and MUT are operating on these lines where no support staff related to such cadre as UDCs and LDCs have been inducted and only those have been retained who have some knowledge of computer or are better qualified to fit-in with modern techniques of work.
However, a very large number of taxpayers had to go back without submitting their forms on Saturday owing to sudden stoppage of work at all counters especially set-up to receive income tax returns.
Labour leaders demanded higher wages which should match with those of newly-established units under ongoing reform agenda.
However, there is also some resentment over making lower staff to work till late hours due to rush of work arising from collection of tax returns. A UDC on condition of anonymity said they were not even paid for extra work and this had put us in a very difficult situation.
The labour leaders belonging to Southern and Corporate regions also moved out and closed other income tax offices located in Gulistan-e-Jahuar, Hashoo Centre, Red Crescent Building at Cantt and MTU located at Income Tax Building on Attaturk Road.
However, pay raise is definitely the core issue which is being contested and agitated by entire lower staff of CBR in Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad or any other city where tax offices are located.
Perhaps the labour leaders thought it was appropriate time to pressurise the CBR at such a critical time when tax returns were being received. Some reports said that the lower staff of tax offices in Lahore also suspended the work on Saturday demanding higher salaries.
Regional Commissioner of Income Tax Abrar Ahmed told Dawn that as such there was no issue and hoped that by Monday morning every thing would be normal. He said there was no dispute or differences with the lower staff of the Southern Region and if there was any it was beyond his ambit.
