AS a concerned citizen of Pakistan, I am deeply grieved to learn that thousands of sanitary workers performing tasks relating to sweeping, garbage collection, handling and disposal of garbage in Defence and Clifton on behalf of the Cantonment Board Clifton are not being paid minimum legal wages nor are they getting the necessary facilities that are due to all workers.

Although these sanitary workers perform the functions of the CBC, they do so through third party contractors who have been contracted the cleaning and garbage management tasks by the CBC.

These sweepers are currently paid Rs10,400 per month, while the minimum legal wage in Pakistan is set at Rs15,000 per month. This gross violation of the legal wage can only be considered as a tragic example of cruelty and inhumanity that is practiced by a leading organisation of Pakistan.

I appeal to the Cantonment Board Clifton to immediately pay the minimum legal wages to the sanitary workers.

A Citizen

Karachi

Published in Dawn, September 3rd, 2018