Local government workers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have postponed their protest after the Minister of Local Government, Arshad Ayub Khan, assured them that their demands will be met. He announced the release of a 25 crore grant for unpaid salaries and pensions.
Earlier today, Ch Muhammad Yaseen, General Secretary of the Pakistan Workers Federation (PWF), along with the leadership of the Local Government Employees Federation (LGEF), met with the Minister of Local Government, Arshad Ayub Khan, at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad.
The workers’ delegation expressed serious concerns regarding delayed salaries and pensions, the need for a comprehensive service structure, and job security for sanitation and other local government workers. They also opposed the proposed merger of TMAs with the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), emphasizing the importance of preserving the autonomy of TMAs to safeguard workers’ jobs.
Additionally, the delegation demanded the provision of special grants for financially struggling TMAs and addressed the employment concerns of non-PUGF employees. These were the key issues raised by the labour leaders during the meeting.
25 crore grant would soon be released to address delayed payments for employees and pensioners of financially struggling TMAs: Arshad Ayub Khan
Minister of Local Government, Arshad Ayub Khan, assured the Delegation that TMAs would stay independent from the Peshawar Development Authority (PDA), protecting their autonomy and workers’ job security. I am committed to improving TMAs’ financial and operational stability without layoffs or extra costs for citizens. Issues like service structures, working hours, uniforms, and PPEs will be quickly addressed and resolved.
Minister Ayub praised the sanitation and other workers for their crucial role as a front-line worker in ensuring public service delivery, particularly in times of crisis, such as the COVID-19 pandemic.
The KP government’s commitment is to collaborate with unions to create a more efficient and profitable TMA system without burdening citizens or cutting jobs. To achieve this, the government will conduct third-party audits and introduce reforms like digitization and vehicle tracking to improve services.
Later on, Following the minister’s directions, the LGEF leadership held a follow-up meeting with the Secretary of Local Government Daood Khan and the Secretary of the Local Council Board Abdul Waheed Khan During the meeting, the Secretaries reaffirmed the government’s commitment to resolving the workers’ issues. They reassured the union leaders that steps would be taken to address their demands.
The leadership of the Local Government Employees Federation, including Chaudhry Muhammad Yaseen, Shaukat Ali Anjum, Salman Hoti, Shaukat Kayani, Anwar Kamal, Niaz Khan, and Mehboob Ullah, thanked the minister and secretaries for addressing workers’ concerns. With the government’s promise to resolve these issues, the leaders announced the postponement of the planned protest, hoping for quick action on the promises made.
