Salary raise announced for Utility Stores’ employees   

ISLAMABAD: Utility Stores Corporation on Friday announced additional perks and salaries for the employees after the latter went on strike, shutting down the country-wide stores, ARY NEWS reported.

The decision was made in the corporation’s yesterday’s meeting of the board of directors, where it was agreed to announce a special package for the employees.

Under the decisions, the salary of the daily-wage employees was raised to Rs 17,500 from 15,000.

The annual increment for the employees was approved from December 2019 along with giving a 10 percent raise in the salaries for the employees as per the budget 2019.

The utility stores’ employees will also be given an additional one-month salary under the Ramadan relief package while a martyrs’ package was also approved for the deceased employees.

It is pertinent to mention here that Utility Stores’ employees across the country announced a strike on Friday till government fulfills their demands.

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Employees demanded that they be given status of permanent employees along with other benefits.

The employees argued that they have been working on contract or daily wages since 13 years and deserve being given permanent employment.

Furious employees have said that they have been left unpaid since a few years and their commission, Sunday allowance and Eid bonuses have also been suspended which were a staple in the past.

Due to rising inflation it is next to impossible to live on a bare minimum of 14,000 rupee salary, said the employees.

Workers also demanded security risk allowance for performing their duties amid the coronavirus pandemic.