September 26, 2008	Friday	Ramazan 25, 1429

MUZAFFARABAD, Sept 25: Around 200 non-gazetted employees of the Municipal Corporation Muzaffarabad, including sanitary workers, staged a demonstration here on Thursday on the second consecutive day of their strike which has led to accumulation of garbage in different neighbourhoods of the town.

The demonstrators paraded through the streets of the capital carrying banners and placards inscribed with their demands and chanting slogans against the finance department. The MCM employees had earlier observed a token strike of one hour on Monday and Tuesday but “as they were given a cold shoulder by the concerned authorities they went on complete strike from Wednesday,” their leader told reporters.

Piles of garbage littered the residential and commercial areas of town due to the strike of the sanitary staff, causing great deal of inconvenience to the residents and shoppers

Shaikh Tahir Wasim, president Local Council Employees Association, alleged that the finance department had turned a blind eye and deaf ear towards their genuine demands which had left no option with them but to go on strike.

According to him, the government had upgraded the junior posts in all government departments last year but the MCM employees had been deprived of this favour.

Similarly, he said, the MCM employees had not been given the benefit of 20 per cent increase in salaries.

“We are also citizens of this country and face the same problems due to price hike which our colleagues in other government departments are facing. So why to subject us to discrimination,” Mr Wasim questioned.

He made it clear that the MCM employees would not receive the salary according to previous package (i.e., devoid of 20 per cent raise) and that if their demand was not fulfilled they would continue the strike notwithstanding their economic woes.

“The government should either issue the notification regarding our demands or give us salary cheques with all arrears to bring us back to work,” he said.