LAKKI MARWAT: The employees of the district council went on a token strike on Thursday against nonpayment of salary for three months.

Wearing black armbands, the protesters gathered outside the district council hall at the District Headquarters Complex Tajazai and protested nonpayment of salary.

On the occasion, District Council Employees’ Union president Anwar Ali said the council employees had not been paid salary for three months and that the relevant authorities were not serious about resolving the issue.

“Denial of salary has multiplied the misery of the poor employees,” he said.

Threaten agitation in case of government’s continued indifference

Anwar Ali said after the introduction of the local government system, the valuable resources of the district council were handed over to the tehsil municipal administrations of Lakki and Naurang.

“Now, the district council doesn’t have a single penny in kitty to pay salary to its employees,” he said.

The union president asked the authorities concerned to end the misery of poor council employees and their families by ensuring early payment of salary.

When contacted, Local Government Employees Federation provincial president Haji Anwar Kamal said the employees of district councils in the entire province had been denied salary.

“The government employees are struggling to make both ends meet in the absence of salary,” he said.

The federation president said the employees went on a token strike in the first phase and would agitate in the next phase.

“The office-bearers of the federation are in constant contact with the relevant high-ups of the provincial government to resolve the issue,” he said.

Kamal said the local government employees would observe a pen-down strike and close their offices if they’re not paid salary by Nov 30.

SURPRISE VISITS: District education officer Haziqur Rehman on Thursday paid surprise visit to several

government schools in Lakki city and adjoining rural localities to check the attendance of teachers and other employees.

The visit was conducted on the complaint of local residents about absenteeism at government schools.

The DEO attended the morning assembly and checked the attendance of teachers, class four employees and clerical staff.

He warned absentees of strict action.

The DEO also inspected the construction sites and directed the principals of schools to ensure transparent use of funds.

Published in Dawn, November 27th, 2015