LAHORE: A number of daily-wage meter readers from Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday staged a protest in front of SNGPL headquarters on Kashmir Road against what they said termination of their services.

Sui Northern Gas Pipelines Limited Managing Director Amjad Latif, however, rejected demands of the protesters, saying that the management didn’t terminate their services. “We didn’t remove them from job. They are exerting pressure on us for regularisation of their services that can’t be done under the law,” Mr Latif told Dawn.

The protesters tried to enter the SNGPL headquarters by forcibly opening three main gates. Police, however, pushed them behind.

As a result of the protest, many visitors were denied entry to the offices.

The protesters carrying placards and banners said they wouldn’t go back till receipt of confirmation orders regarding their jobs. “We had been appointed 10 to 12 years ago on daily wage. But the administration is yet to regularise our services,” Najaf Ali, a meter reader told this reporter.

Waqas, another daily wager, said they had been getting Rs10,000 to Rs12,000 that were even less than the minimum wage of Rs13,000. The SNGPL administration had assured them of accepting their demands, but to no avail.

Arshad Ali said they would continue with their protest for their rights.

“There are over 700 daily wagers working for the last 12 years in the department. And we will not go back from here despite various tactics,” he added.

Talking to this reporter, daily wagers action committee chief Faisal Sajjad said: “Instead of regularising our jobs, the administration has sacked us. Under the law, our services can be regularised if the company wants so.”

He warned the company high-ups of extending protest to various parts of Punjab and KP in future if their demands were not fulfilled.

The managing director said the number of daily-wage meter readers was about 200 to 250 and not 700 or so.

“They had been appointed as part-time meter readers at the rate of Rs4 per meter reading. We can’t regularise their services as they will be required to apply for such jobs if advertised in future,” he said.

Published in Dawn February 8th, 2017