News Analysis |
The protesting lady health workers (LHW) in the city of Lahore have warned the administration of halting the metro bus if a notification for their service structure is not issued, entering into the fifth day of their protest. The health workers, who have been spending nights and days on Mall Road in protest, have said they would not end their sit-in until their demands are met.
Hundreds of lady health workers staged a sit-in at Lahore’s Mall Road on Monday, the 27th of March, to register their protest against service structure and non-payment of dues, Global Village Space earlier reported. The protesters have demanded provision of service structure, up gradation over scale experience, and payment of arrears. The lady health workers have vowed to continue protest till acceptance of their demands.
“We haven’t been paid for five months now,” a protester said. While another added saying that they last received an increment in 2012. “Our demonstration will continue till our demands are met,” a health worker stressed.
In a shocking incident, one of the protesting women was shifted to hospital a day before after her condition worsened. Health workers’ spokesperson says that the woman died afterwards however; the administration is trying to conceal the news, she alleged. Another woman fell unconscious as she was staging sit-in in severely hot weather.
“The government had promised us in 2012 to pay our dues. We’re still waiting for the compensation”, one of the workers told GVS.
Read more: Orange Line causes Mall Road closure
The commuters are also undergoing severe difficulties due to the protest as the roads have been blocked causing traffic jam at various areas. Due to blockade of the Mall Road, the traffic got disrupted on Davis Road, Edgerton Road, Jail Road, Mughalpura, Garhi Shahu, Governor House, Dharam Pura, Lawrence Road and Canal Road.
The traffic jam had expanded to Moulana Zafar Ali Road, Garden Town, Jinnah Hospital, Muslim Town, Barkat Market and other areas due to disruption on Canal Road. The sit-in near Charing Cross has also polluted the area with trash all around that the protesting health workers have been clearing and burning on their own.
The protesters have demanded provision of service structure, up gradation over scale experience, and payment of arrears. The lady health workers have vowed to continue protest till acceptance of their demands.
Although an approved service structure has not yet been issued, a statement issued by Primary and Secondary Health Department in Lahore promises the payment of salaries to the LHWs without any delays, whereas an allowance of Rs 5,000 has also been mentioned for the supervisors, a local publication reported.
Read more: Lahore: Lady health care workers enter second day of sit-in on…
Lahore High Court has ordered the home secretary to clear the sit-in and submit a report on the matter by April 2. The court also questioned the home secretary on why the protest had not ended by now. On March 26, the workers started a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly over non-payment of salaries.
“We haven’t been paid for five months now,” a protester said. While another added saying that they last received an increment in 2012. “Our demonstration will continue till our demands are met,” a health worker stressed.
Following this, the government allowed the release of arrears worth Rs1.2 billion for the lady health workers. The amount will reach the health workers within 15 days.