PESHAWAR: The employees of various government departments on Thursday observed pen-down strike and held rallies across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to demand increase in salaries and allowances commensurate to the prevailing inflation.

In Peshawar, the employees led by All Government Employees Grand Alliance (AGEGA), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, chairman Haji Islamuddin gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club and chanted slogans against the government. They demanded 100 per cent increase in different allowances.

Holding banners and placards inscribed with their demands, the protesters said they were united to continue agitation till resolution of their problems.

Talking to mediapersons, Mr Islamuddin said that merger of ad hoc relief into basic pay and revising basic scales were their longstanding demands. He demanded timescale for all government employees, merger of ad hoc reliefs in regular pay, increasing medical allowance to Rs10,000, giving house rent on running pay and doing away with the contract policy.

Reiterate demand for revision of basic scales, end to contract policy

He said the government had not increased salaries of employees in the fiscal budget though the prices had surged manifold.

The government, he alleged, had constituted pay and pension committee to implement the anti-employees polices at the behest of IMF. He said in case the government did not pay attention to the employees’ demands they would march on Islamabad on October 6 to observe a sit-in outside parliament.

In Swabi, the public sector employees gathered under the banner of AGEGA and staged a protest demonstration. They demanded increase in salaries and reduction in prices of essential commodities.

In Lower Dir, hundreds of government employees on Thursday boycotted duties and staged a rally in front of education complex, Balambat.

The rally was also addressed by provincial president of All Teachers’ Associations Syed Mohammad Shah and provincial president School Officers’ Association Abdul Hameed. They also demanded end to rumours about abolishing pension and annual increments.

In Swat, the government employees of various departments staged a protest against implementation of new service rules for government employees.

They gathered at Nishat Chowk and chanted slogans against the PTI government, saying that the upholders of ‘change’ were not loyal to the people, but were only following the dictation of IMF.

The government employees also boycotted duties and held rallies in Buner, Upper Dir, Charsadda, Nowshera, Mardan, Battagram, Shangla and other districts.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2020