Lahore women health workers' protest enters day four

LAHORE: The protest of women health workers here enters day four on Thursday as the government authorities yet to meet their demands.

The health workers protest sit-in at Mall Road here demanding service structure entered in its fourth day.  The Lahore waste management staff has not been able to clean the roads due to the protest, leading to a significant amount of trash heaping across the vicinity.

Thought the number of protesters has gone down over the days but the women health workers continuing their protest till a service structure is signed for them by the Punjab Chief Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

On March 26, the health 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 that they last received an increment in salaries in 2012.

“Our protest will continue till our demands are met,” another health worker said determinedly.

Though the government did issue release of arrears worth Rs1.2 billion for the lady health workers and is noted to reach the LHWs within 15 days. The workers state that no proper system has been put in place for the workers to continue their duty in a smooth manner. Thus putting them in a situation to protest for their rights time and again.

Punjab Government’s Health Department officials have tried to negotiate with the representatives of the protesters but the health workers refused to end the sit-in without a written guarantee.