The federal secretariat employees have reportedly threatened to go on pen down strike next month if their salaries are not increased with immediate effect. In an anonymous letter circulating on the social media, without addressing any office holder(s)/authority fearing action in case of identification, the federal secretariat employees state that their salaries including officers and staff were not comparable with cost of living in the capital duty.
However, in the last budget, the situation has come to the point where even survival has become impossible. This is the first time in history when take-home salaries of employees have actually declined due to the revised income tax slabs.
This, coupled with exorbitant inflation rate, "has cornered us so hard that it's not possible anymore to make the both ends meet. "Many of our colleagues are constrained to sell their household items and other property just to meet their monthly expenses, and this is really disturbing to learn," the letter added.
The letter further maintains that the pay package of their counterparts in the provincial secretariats is remarkably high despite the fact that cost of living in the provinces is far lesser as compared to Islamabad.
"Other than that even in our locality there are some islands of prosperity where employees are paid better e.g. BISP, PM's Secretariat, President's Secretariat, the NAB, courts etc. This discrimination has given rise to severe anxiety and unrest amongst the employees of the federal secretariat with strong compulsion to seek postings in such departments on deputation basis," the letter maintained.
The disappointed employees say that in presence of such a dismal state of affairs, even the most motivated optimistic employees are increasingly losing hope while many others, highly frustrated, are thinking of resigning from the government job.
The federal secretariat is the seat of the government and if the employees are not adequately paid, one can neither ensure motivation nor integrity and morality. The employees have also recorded their concerns several times through written representations and by peaceful protests in front of M/o Finance and Establishment Division, but, to no avail.
The panic caused by the last budget was somewhat eased in the backdrop of the speculation that government is seriously considering reasonable pay raise for federal secretariat employees.
Employees "learnt that Secretaries of Committees have recommended across the board pay-raise of 120% of basic pay 2017. Such speculations have kept our hopes alive. However, indecision and inordinate delay being caused by the government on this issue is giving rise to frustration, suspicion and a sense of distrust," the letter states.
"We, the employees of the federal secretariat, request for at least increase of 150 per cent in basic pay in BPS- 2017 from January 1, 2020 latest by February 29, 2020 so that we may be able to live a reasonable and respectable life in Islamabad and dedicate our quality time to our official work rather than worrying about livelihood and in case of denial federal government employees including officers and staff will go on pen down strike from March 2, 2020 until our demand is met," the letter concluded.
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