RAWALPINDI, Jan 9: The work charge employees of the Water and Sanitation Agency (Wasa), Rawalpindi, have not been paid salaries for the month of December, employees told Dawn.

Work charge employees are appointed on monthly wages, with no job security. They can be hired and fired without notice. Besides they are never paid salaries on time. Every month, their salaries are delayed by about ten days due to the tedious bureaucratic process.

Their service is dependent on the good-will of their immediate bosses or the big boss.”We are at the mercy of Wasa officials,” a employee said.

“We are paid meagre salaries and even that is not paid on time. We are hand-to-mouth and our utility bills remain unpaid. The worst is when the grocers refuse to sell us edibles at the end of the month and instead start demanding previous loans. Where are we to go,” commented a work charge employee.

At times salaries are delayed by a month, if the MD is not out of town since he is the sanctioning authority.

Employees appealed to the higher authorities to ensure payment of their salaries on the first day of every month.

The MD Wasa, Yaseer Gauhar said work charge employees are not permanent workers of the agency.

They are appointed on posts which fall vacant due to retirement of regular employees on contract basis. If their performance or conduct is not upto the mark, they can be relieved at a moment’s notice, he added.

He admitted that the wages are delayed by 10 days, because of the lengthy bureaucratic process. He said that he was the only sanctioning.