Nadra staff demand housing and medical allowances

Karachi
Employees of the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) protested outside the Karachi Press Club on Monday against the absence of service structure, lack of medical facilities and unfair distribution of project allowances.
A call for nation-wide strike was given by the All Pakistan Nadra Employees Union (APNEU). For the rest of the week, the protesters will organise sit-ins and hunger strike from 11am to 5pm to seek the government’s attention. “We have been trying to receive a positive response for the federal government for the past year or so,” said the APNEU’s Karachi general secretary, Salman Zuberi, while talking to The News. “The workers demand due promotions, increment in salaries, proper implementation of son quota, which they claim has been misused since it was allowed by the government.”
The protesting employees also demanded promotions to higher grades and renewal of 15 percent allowance, which had been withdrawn on government’s directives last month.
The employees said the allowance was awarded under section 35 of the Nadra Ordinance and being an independent body the government should not interfere with its affairs.
“Former chairman Nadra, Tariq Malik, after realising the issues of employees had decided to give 15 percent allowance to 17, 000 people,” said Zuberi. “However, after his resignation, the interior minister for reasons best known to him, used his influence to withdraw the allowance.”
He said the employees wanted resumption of allowances of he data entry operators and their promotion to BPS-12. “Almost every government department and organisation has proper medical facilities, including hospital on their panel, and they also provide housing facilitates to their employees. But, in Nadra, the employees only get Rs1,000 per month as medical expense,” he said.
The Nadra union is working in all nine regions of the country. In case it can’t get hold of government’s attention then it plans to make the workers march to Islamabad in the first week of March. The employees will stage a sit-in in front of the Nadra headquarters in Islamabad till their demands are accepted, said Zuberi.