It seems the prime minister’s announcement of fixing minimum wage Rs 8,000 is just a political statement as a government-run institution is all set to force people to work at far less salary.
On May 1, 2012, the then prime minister Yousuf Raza Gilani announced an increase of minimum wages of labourers from Rs 7,000 to 8,000. However, during the last month, Federal Directorate of Education (FDE) – a subsidiary of the ministry of capital development and administration- announced jobs, and offered salaries against the PM’s directives and labour policy as well. In the advertisement, which is still available on FDE official website, the FDE announced 48 jobs for teaching and non-teaching staff on contract basis for one year.
The FDE announced 43 teaching posts and 15 non-teaching posts. However, in clear violation of the labour policy and PM directives, FDE fixed Rs 7,000 monthly salary (all inclusive) against the post of upper division clerk and Rs 5,000 per month against the posts of Class-IV staff.
It is relevant to note here that poor workers are being exploited by private owners who pay far less wages in stark violation of the government directives. Despite repeated attempts, CAD Joint Secretary Professor Rafiq Tahir, who is supposed to look after the affairs of FDE, could not be approached for his comments on the issue.
However, while talking to Pakistan Today, Islamabad Model Colleges Employees Welfare Association General Secretary Muhammad Sadaqat said it was sheer injustice with poor people.
He said according to the labour policy and the prime minister’s announcement, FDE has no legal and moral right to fix salary of any employee less than Rs 8,000. He felt something fishy in the jobs announcements by FDE.
“Let me make it clear. We will take to streets against the FDE’s present move of exploiting the poor workers.
This is a non-serious attitude of people at the helm of affairs,” Muhammad said. He demanded of the CAD secretary to look into the matter and fix minimum salary in accordance with the PM’s directives. The FDE, which is supposed to run 418 educational institutions in the federal capital, is being badly run by the ministry of CAD. Currently, the top seat of director general of FDE is lying vacant for the last two months. Owing to the absence of DG, administrative work has come to a halt but no serious effort is being made for the appointment of new DG.
It is pertinent to add that owing to mismanagement on the part of authorities concerned, the office of DG has become a musical chair as during the last two and a half year, it has witnessed nine DGs. Last DG, Atif Kayani, was removed by the Supreme Court of Pakistan as a three-member bench, headed by the chief justice, had observed that in the presence of highly qualified persons including a number of PhD holders, a third-division bachelor degree-holder without having relevant experience was managing the affairs of the FDE.
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