HYDERABAD, Nov 28: At least 24 officers of the Sui Southern Gas Company (SSGC), under the banner of the officers action committee, held a demonstration outside the Hyderabad Press Club on Thursday to protest against the non-payment of their seven-month salaries.

Talking to Dawn, the representatives of the employees — Abdul Ghafoor Soomro, Narain Das, Mehran Tariq Aparihar, and Idrees Abbasi — said that notwithstanding the clear judgment of the Supreme Court for the absorption of the employees in their respective disciplines, they had been denied their seven-month salaries.

They said that on the one hand the company had got an undertaking from them that they would not work in any other organization and on the other they were being denied their salaries and medical facilities.

They said their families had been starving.

They further claimed that the Federal Services Tribunal had also given orders to the company on two occasions to pay the employees their salaries but the orders of the tribunal had also been ignored.

They lamented that since they had no money to pay their utility bills and their utility connections were being disconnected.

They also lamented that their children were not being allowed to attend their schools as they had not paid their fees.

They appealed to the prime minister, the minister for petroleum and natural resources, and the managing director (Sui Southern Gas Company) to implement the orders of the Supreme Court, enforce the supremacy of law, and ensure payment of salaries to the employees before Eid to enable their families to celebrate the auspicious occasion in a befitting manner.