LARKANA: A large number of men and women workers of the population welfare department took to the streets of Larkana and Dadu on Tuesday for acceptance of their demands, mainly regularisation of their jobs.

In Larkana, they observed a pen-down strike before raising their voice on roads led by All Pakistan Clerks Association (Apca) Sindh chapter president Peeral Dayo, Ms Irshad Mughal, Ms Salma Soomro and other office-bearers.

Chanting slogans, the protesters assembled outside Larkana Press Club and their leaders made speeches.

They flayed the Sindh government for paying no heed to resolve the workers’ problems and called for regularisation of all employees recruited from 2009 to 2012.

They criticised government’s “dual policy” regarding regularisation wherein the employees given jobs in grades 16 and 17 during 2009 and 2012 were confirmed, but the lower-cadre workers were neglected.

The protesters urged for regularising the jobs of all male mobilisers and early restructuring of the promotion policy.

DADU: In Dadu the employees staged a protest rally against provincial Population Welfare Minister Azra Pechuho for not accepting their legal demands.

Carrying banners and placards, they raised slogans against the minister.

They marched up to the local press club and staged a demonstration under the leadership of Apca’s Dadu chapter leaders Younis Utero, Mohammad Rafiq, Ghulam Mustafa Kolachi and Sanya, Zarina, Shazia, Raja, Ali Khan and Safdar Hussain.

Speaking to the participants, Mr Utero demanded removal of the minister for, as he termed it, introducing wrong policies in the department and causing “huge corruption”.

Mr Rafiq said the minister had issued orders for the employees of the population department to perform duties in the health department. He said the decision of the minister had destroyed the department through “corruption”.

Speaking to demonstrators, Ms Zarina demanded confirmation of the services of the employees who had worked on contract from 2009 to 2012.

Published in Dawn, November 14th, 2018