Workers block Metro Bus track over non-payment

LAHORE
Kalma Chowk turned into a commuter nightmare as the employees of the security agency ‘Security 2000’ (a private security company employed by Metro Bus) blocked the Metro track and the intersection for hours and demanded an end to financial exploitation and better perks.
Punjab Mass Transit Authority, Lahore (PMA) had outsourced its security to the security company and that has been the arrangement ever since. However, the employees of the company had not been receiving their salaries for months now, while facing inhuman working conditions.
When contacted, a PMA spokesperson clarified that ‘Security 2000’ is paid within a week of their invoice submission to PMA. Payment to their employees and fixing their salary package is entirely their in-house affair which has nothing to do with PMA. The spokesperson said the contract of ‘Security 2000’ will expire in December 2015.
Muhammad Adeel said he was a student of BSc Electrical Engineering at Lahore University and working for more than an hour as a security guard with Security 2000 because he could not get another job. He said that he was compelled to come on road because the company had not paid them salary for last two months. He said that the government had announced Rs 13,000 minimum wage, but they were being paid Rs 8,000 per month which was sheer injustice.
A large number of employees of the company carrying placards chanted slogans “sada haq ithay rakh”, “zulm k yeh zabitay hum nai mantay”, “hamari tankhawahein barhao” etc and came on metro track near Kalma Chowk and staged a sit-in and blocked roads for traffic including Metro Bus. Rehman Nadim said he was also student. His work timing was from 6am to 2 pm but the company forced him to stay late till evening that disturbed his studies as he went to take classes after two O` clock. He said he did not get any overtime for this extra-work. M Saddam said they were not allowed a weekly or annually off. He said, whoever went on leave due to emergency or any other reason, the company would charge him Rs 1,933 as fine. He said the company would force the other workers to do extra work as replacement of the person on leave.
Rehman Nadim said he had been working with the company for about two and a half years and there has been no raise in his salary. He said the company would seek excuses to levy fines on them to cut their salaries. He said it would impose Rs 662 fine if the card of the employee moved few inches away from its prescribed place of attachment at shirt and did not show at camera though he was wearing it.
Muhammad Aslam said he was appointed at Nishtar Cut on metro track. He said there was no arrangement of umbrella or shade for him even in June. He said that if he moved away even for few minutes to drink water or take rest, the company would charge him fine of about Rs 700. He said if a civilian vehicle entered the metro track, he was fined. He said this was injustice.
Ebad Ali said the company had kept their computerised national identity card with themselves. He said they would not hand it over to them for many months even the person had left the job. Moreover, they would keep our salary of one month with them, he added. He said the company had to pay them a salary of three months now; two months, July and August, and, one month they kept as a requirement.
Any of the government representatives or a notable authority concerned did not visit the protesters. They were continuing their protest till filing of the report.