RAWALPINDI, Dec 18: Pakistan Railways (PR) on Tuesday released salaries of 800 employees, amounting to Rs40 million, after they protested and stopped trains travelling from Rawalpindi to Multan and Kohat.

More than 700 Railway employees at pay scale BPS-I to BPS-4 refused to work till the release of their salary for the month of November.

The protesting workers stopped the trains at the Railway Station at 8:00am but then dispersed peacefully, after assurance of Pakistan Railways’ Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah that the funds would be released in the afternoon.

Later the employees gathered in front of the Divisional Superintendent’s office at 1pm but failed to get their salary. As a result, Kohat and Mehar Express were stopped and the workers refused to go back to work.

During the protest, workers were chanting slogans against the federal government and Railway officials. Protestors burnt tyres and some even beat their chests, expressing their anger.

While talking to newsmen, the workers said that the employees were facing problems due to late payment of salaries. They said that it had become routine for the railway management to release funds, only after a protest, otherwise they continued to procrastinate.

Due to the protest, the Railway officials contacted PR administration, who eventually released the funds. Finally, the railway employees got their salaries at around 5:15 pm.

The two trains Mehar and Kohat Express departed a few hours late. The schedule time of Mehar Express was 4pm and Kohat Express was 3pm. Due to the protest, the passengers had to wait.

When contacted, Divisional Superintendent Syed Munawar Shah said that due to a bank holiday, the money was not dispatched to the State Bank before December 15. He said that two weekly holidays on December 15 and 16 had complicated matters.

Initially the PR management offered to pay salaries in phases but when the protestors did not agree, then the entire amount was released in the evening.