LHWs vow to continue protest till acceptance of demands

Lady Health Workers (LHWs) Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has vowed to continue protest till the restoration of their all terminated colleagues, payment of outstanding dues, end of victimisation and implementation of the decision of regularisation.
This was stated by provincial patron, LHWs Association, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Farman Khan while addressing a press conference on Saturday. A large number of LHWs were also present. He said that they have held successful negotiations with Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, who had assured the completion of the process of their regularisation within one and a half months. However, he urged the provincial governments of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab for the implementation of the recommendations of Khurshid Shah.
LHWs Programme was initiated in 1994 under Prime Minister's Programme for Family Planning and Basic Health. The services of the programme are included vaccination of mother and child, family planning, health and cleanliness, polio immunisation, promotion of iodine salt. The services of the workers of programme due to active participation in the relief activities for earthquake and blood affected have been appreciated at both national and international levels.
He said that despite rendering different kinds of services they were not receiving officially fixed minimum wage. The devolution of the programme to provinces under 18th Constitutional Amendment created many issues. The patron of the association said that they were not getting salaries for the past five months while fuel of the vehicles was suspended two years ago. He said that in October last year price hike and other problems forced them to come on roads and protest treatment meted out to them.
He said that the movement of the health workers forced the provincial government for provision of a fund of Rs 360 million for the programme. To punish the LHWs, he said the provincial government sacked 36 supervisors and drivers in Mansehra, which was followed by the termination of Qazi Naeem, a superintendent at provincial office. Furthermore, he said that three BPS-7 and four class-IV employees were also sacked while five other non-transferable employees were transferred to far-flung districts of the province. He said that on March 26, 2012, the association staged a nation-wide sit-in in Islamabad on which the Supreme Court also took suo motu notice and asked the government for presenting report on the matter within two weeks.