KARACHI: Many emplo­yees and retired workers of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) on Tuesday staged a protest sit-in seeking their arrears and salaries.

The protesters gathered at Light House in front of the KMC head office and blocked the main M.A. Jinnah Road for traffic. The part of the busy M.A. Jinnah Road was closed from the Light House to Tower. The protesters also locked down the main gate of the KMC head office building.

The protest resulted in a traffic mess on M. A. Jinnah Road and adjoining arteries for hours.

The municipal worker’s trade unions alliance comprising 14 member unions had organised the protest to press for the worker’s demands.

Metropolitan Commissio­ner Afzal Zaidi talked with the leaders of municipal workers during the sit-in and assured them that their issue would be resolved within 90 days. The workers refused the offer and decided to continue their protest till the approval of their demands.

Karachi Administrator Murtaza Wahab had held a meeting on Monday with the municipal worker’s leaders to resolve the issue. They agreed on the point that the Sindh cabinet would provide a bailout package for payment of pensions and arrears to KMC employees.

“The issues raised by the retired employees are all legitimate and very important, and I have been working very hard to resolve them,” he had said.

Published in Dawn, December 22nd, 2021