KARACHI: Several employees of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) have demanded the immediate release of their salaries pending for the last one month and other outstanding dues.
They warned to launch a protest campaign if their salaries were not paid within a week. Sources said a number of pensioners and lower-class workers were suffering due to the nonpayment of their outstanding salaries and pension.
The KMC management while giving the excuse of nonpayment of Rs500 million special grant and Rs600 million property tax from the provincial government has not paid salaries to the employees, sources added.
Sources said despite the issuance of checks to pay salaries to 2,000 employees of KMC could not be paid last month’s salary.
Sources said, “Despite the KMC had already received Rs326 million on account of Octroi Divisional Tax, but is still depriving the employees of their outstanding salaries and dues.”
KMC employees’ union leader, Syed Zulfiqar Shah said that payment of salary under finance rules is the top priority, but the Sindh government’s finance department and local government are bent on harassing employees.
Even, the firefighters have not received the Fire Risk Allowance for the last three months, besides the machinery pool, fumigation and malaria section employees were still deprived of their outstanding dues, he added.
Shah alleged that the Finance Department of the KMC is not implementing the orders of the KMC Administrator and chief officer. He reminded that the chief officer in a recent meeting had assured them that the salaries of one to 10-grade employees would be released immediately.
The employees demanded immediate payment of their salaries, adding that local government employees could not live without salaries, so if the issue was not resolved immediately, they will compel to launch a protest campaign.
