After 75 years of struggle, KP’s sanitation and municipal workers have finally received a new service Service structure that should eventually bring them job security and respect.
For years the Local Government Employees of KP have been fighting for the rights of its employees and they have finally seen the light for structured employment. It needs only the recent local government employees’ service structure in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province announced by the provincial governor to facilitate this proposal – and it ranks as one of the most dramatic, if not symbolic, changes in the labour history of Pakistan.
The process of getting to this path was not a smooth one. The move to increase the share of blacks had to be achieved by the Local Government Employees Federation and its allies which faced a lot of criticism from different quarters within and outside the system.
The Local Government Employees Federation KP with the patron in chief Mr Shaukat kayani, Chairman Mr Shaukat ali Anjum, President Mr Haji Anwar kamal khan, Salman Khan Hoti Seneral Secretary and other committed members did not fail to remove such obstacles.
The Labour leaders marked with appreciation to officials who were supportive of the cause.
Other leaders include; Arshad Ayub Khan (Minister for Local Government and Rural Development KP), Secretary Dawood Khan, Special Secretary Establishment Nadir Khan, with officials from the Local Council Board. The federation expressed its best wishes to these persons and their tireless work for the fate of employees of local governments.
The main social impact is the upcoming job security, stability, and new opportunities for thousands of provincial municipal workers.It ranks as one of the most dramatic, if not symbolic, changes in the labour history of Pakistan.
The KP Local Council Board approved this much-anticipated service structure by way of Circular No. AO- IV/LCB/4-1/General file/2023 issued on 28th of November 2023. The historic development came after the unanimous approval of a resolution moved by KP Provincial Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Khan Swati after municipal Workers have been eagerly waiting to get their rights of structured employment for the last 75 years.
This new structure is expected to provide organisational stability and direction to career growth resolving long-standing concerns that have not been met before. The Gazette Notification has imposed strict compliance across all the regional municipal offices.
Many crucial problem areas are still open, which affect sanitation workers worst in terms of job content deterioration and the question of employment assurance.
Municipal sanitation workers who are responsible for some of the important yet lowly paid tasks in the municipal sector still go to work poorly protected, wearing ill-fitted protective garments; suffer from poor health benefits; and are not always apprised of proper safety measures. The recent service structure should therefore be suitable for specialized provisions on the above needs so as to allow sanitation workers to be part of the worker welfare crusade.
Moreover, the grievance in the implementation of pay panels as well as other varied acts stay relevant throughout the districts, especially with the contract and daily wage workers with their pay being handled wittingly and fairly at the same time.
The Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to address these issues adequately to empower or enhance the conditions of all employees of the local government across the province to support even the most vulnerable workers.
This has made progress towards the rights of workers in KP, while at the same time, it has also defined a standard for other provinces of Pakistan. Municipal human resource management must aim at job security, career advancement and human dignity to improve service quality.
The Local Government Employees Federation KP has finally shown that unrelenting pressure and unity can work wonders. Since unions have been at the forefront of advocating for these reforms there is every possibility that such a movement will catch up across the nation.
