RAWALPINDI, Dec 1: The sanitary workers of Rawalpindi district on Saturday staged a protest rally against the proposed privatisation of sanitation department.

The provincial government has planned to outsource the department and sought international bidders to run it.

The workers expressed resentment over the privatisation and said that it would render jobless 700 sanitary workers working on daily wages.

More than 100 sanitary workers gathered outside Rawalpindi-Islamabad Press Club and staged a demonstration. They chanted slogans against the City District Government Rawalpindi and provincial government.

While addressing the gathering, Municipal Workers League (MWL) President Farooq Ahmed Khan said that the provincial government outsourced the sanitation in Lahore and it created problems for the employees.

“The government is not interested in increasing the wages of the government employees. The daily wage workers get Rs11,000 per month but the private company is giving them Rs8,000,” he said.

Mr Farooq said the government would pay the private company while imposing sanitation tax in the district.

However, he said, under the local government ordinance, it was the duty of the city government to provide neat and clean environment without imposing sanitation tax on the residents.