PESHAWAR, June 14: The All-Pakistan Class-IV Employees Association has demanded that the NWFP government should provide maximum relief to low-grade employees in the budget to be presented in the assembly on June 16.

Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar press club on Thursday, APCEA leaders Abdus Sattar Hoti, Haroon Khan Jadoon and Mohammad Waris Khan said they had suggested to the authorities concerned that the fixed salary should be replaced with the grade system.

They said that NWFP finance minister Shah Raz Khan had agreed in principle that their salary would be increased in the budget.

They said that they were the most underpaid employees of the government and deserved ‘special package’ in the budget to cater to the needs of their families.

They said that janitors, office assistants, drivers, gardeners, water-carriers, ward attendants, skilled coolies, cooks, watchmen, supervisors, head gardeners, laboratory attendants, sweepers and cattle attendants were part of class-IV employees.

They denied that clerks were part of their cadres. They said most of them were regular employees working in education, health, livestock, agriculture, forest, population, archives, mineral, irrigation and power, works and services, local government and archaeology departments, but they were paid less than the salary recommended by labour organisations.

They demanded that the NWFP government should waive interest on all loans given to employees living in earthquake-affected areas of the province.