On 23rd of May 2017, Railway Workers Union organised a protest rally for increase in wages, permanent jobs for contract workers and other demands from Quetta railway station to the Press Club. The rally was attended by a large number of workers. The rally was led by the union’s Quetta leadership President Atta M. Baloch, Sameen Gul Kaakar, Raheem Lango, Afzal Bungalzai and Majeed Zehri. The workers raised slogans against the government’s inaction to their demands. The leaders addressed the protest criticising the officials. Balochistan is a large province with poor infrastructure. Only railway serves as an affordable means of transport for many people. Continuous erosion of the service due to government’s inaction is detrimental to both workers and people using the service.
The workers demanded that contract workers must be given permanent jobs with all benefits in all public sector departments. Wages must be increased in accordance with the prevalent inflation. Other demands included the inclusion of 50% ad-hoc allowance in basic pay, technical allowance must be 25% of the basic pay and all workers scale up gradation must be done without further delay.
