LHWs threaten to go on strike if demands not met

CHITRAL: The office-bearers of Lady Health Workers Association and all employees of Lady Health Workers Programme on Tuesday threatened to go on strike and boycott polio and Covid-19 vaccination duties if the government did not meet their demands till the first week of August.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of Lady Health Workers Association and Coordination Council held at Town Area in Booni, LHWA president Bibi Aasia, general secretary Harira Bibi, press secretary Saadia Mansoor and others alleged that government was meting out a step-motherly treatment to the health workers by not fulfilling their genuine demands.

A large number of LHWs attended the meeting and announced full support to the association.

“We gave calls for protest several times but it was postponed in the best interest of government and public,” the speakers said, adding that the authorities had misconstrued our goodwill gestures but now no more time would be given to the government.

They said that they had lost patience over the injustices as the government had totally ignored the LHWs in raising salaries in the current budget. The office-bearers said that most of the employees were working in the fields despite potential threats to their lives but the government did not provide them risk allowance or other perks and facilities.

They said the employees would boycott anti-polio and coronavirus vaccinations if the government did not fulfill their demands by August.