From Abid Usman
LAHORE: As many as 1,90,000 employees and pensioners of Pakistan Railways all over the country, have been facing continuous problems for the last six months due to non-payment of their basic rights, salary and pension on time.
Due to non-payment, the stoves of the houses of the railway employees have gone cold. The railway officers started to look helpless and the railway employees blamed the former railway minister Azam Swati and Sheikh Rasheed for their poor condition.
Due to their poor strategy, railway employees are starving, they alleged and said the non-payment of meager salaries has caused severe mental anxiety to the railway employees.
On the other hand, the senior officials of the railway unions warned that there will be no more delay in the payment of salaries and pensions. If the issue is not resolved, the leaders of the railway unions in every city will be forced to protest and sit in front of the central offices, so that our voice will be heard and Prime Minister of Pakistan Mian Shahbaz Sharif, Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, Federal Minister for Railways, Khawaja Saad Rafique could be reached.
It should be noted here that the issue of salaries and pensions of railway employees, which started PTI government, could not be resolved even in the incumbent Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government.
At present, 1,20,000 railway employees across the country, including Rawalpindi, while around 70 thousand pension employees are facing serious problems due to non-payment on time.
Railway employees and pensioners are paid in three phases from 1st to 15th, these salaries are paid to the railway employees on 1st, 5th, 13th and 15th of every month, but despite the passing of 20th December, the employees are waiting for their salaries.
Railway employees are living on very meager salaries, but the non-payment has forced them to live a very poor life .While their other houses, hospitals, TADA and other issues are still the same. Railway employees have been suffering the difficult phase of life to survive. The officers are powerless to pay the salaries and pensions of the railway employees, their powers seem limited.
