Karachi, July 8: Sanitary workers ironically ended up making a mammoth traffic mess in the downtown areas of the city as well as some major linking thoroughfares on July 7 while staging a protest against non-payment of their salaries at the Arts Council roundabout.
The agitated employees of the district municipal corporation South Lyari zone were complaining that they had not been paid salaries for the last two months.
Hundreds of commuters were stranded in traffic jams on the roads and streets of Saddar and the iftar rush in the evening compounded their woes.
The thoroughfares hit with the traffic chaos included II Chundrigar Road, MA Jinnah Road, Abdullah Haroon Road, Dr Ziauddin Road, Club Road, MR Kayani Road and Zaibunnisa Street. Connecting roads including Sharea Faisal and Sharea Quaideen were also affected.
The worst congestion was witnessed at the Arts Council roundabout where the protest was taking place. The traffic police and wardens appeared helpless in bringing the situation under control.
Many ambulances carrying patients were seen stuck in the traffic jam. Many commuters walked to their destinations instead of waiting for the authorities to clear up the roads.
Asim Latif, who was stuck in traffic for at least two hours, said was heading towards Shaheen Complex from Merewether Tower using the main intersection of II Chundrigar Road and Dr Ziauddin Road from Tower. “Usually it tales around 15 minutes to reach from Tower to Shaheen Complex but this afternoon I couldn’t do anything but just remain stuck on the road.”
Mirza Adil told The News that he went to Boulton Market for shopping but when he left, there was a chaotic traffic jam and situation improved after two hours.
Ahmed, a motorcyclist, said he worked at a computer shop opposite City Station and had to leave for the Radio Pakistan building. “I turned back because there wasn’t even space for motorcycles.”
The protest
The protesters, who were around 500 or 600 in number, had arrived with 25 vehicles of the corporation.
They were demanding payment of their salaries, provident fund and medical bills and restoration of the former municipal commissioner of the DMC South, Muhammad Raeisi.
Raeisi was ousted from the post last week over charges of corruption and misuse of powers.
The News has learnt that the Anti-Corruption Department and the National Accountability Bureau were running separate inquires against him.
He was reportedly appointed as a Muslim Qully – a grade-I employee in 1992 and in 2005 became a grade-18 employee.
Sources told The News that this was only possible if a person tampered with the original documents and had strong political connections; otherwise, the long procedure of promotions in the system did not allow such an achievement.
Raeisi has served on many key positions including the health inspector, the infrastructure town officer, the town municipal officer in Lyari and the Lyari Town administrator.
Leading the protest, Inayat Baloch, the president of the People’s United Workers Union, claimed that the administration of the district was not issuing salaries to the employees.
The union had recently staged a sit-in in front of the Chief Minister’s House.
The DMC South comprises former towns including Saddar, Lyari and Keamari. Baloch said it had around 7,200 employees most of whom were unpaid since April. Around 3,800 employees are working in Saddar, 2,300 in Lyari and 1,100 in Keamari.
Syed Zulfiqar Shah of the Sajjan Union of the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation said employees from grade-I to 16 had not received salaries for last two months. He demanded that salaries till April should be cleared till July 10 and the salaries of June be handed ober before July 22, so that employees could prepare for Eid.
Advance salaries announced
Later in the day, the Sindh government announced that it would provide three months’ salaries and a one-month bonus salary to the DMC South employees, PPI added.
The announcement came after Sania Naz, an MPA from Lyari, held a meeting with a delegation of the employees at the Chief Minister’s House.
Published by Daily The News on July 8, 2014
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