The Union of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) has announced a national protest on February 17 against the recent dismissal of 2,500 to 2,600 daily wages employees by the Government.
The protests will take place outside the press clubs throughout the country, with an important manifestation planned in the Central Office of the USC in the blue area of Islamabad at 2 pm.
The union leaders warned that a sitting can take place in the Federal Capital, and the protests will continue until their reinstatement demands are met.
The Government has decided to fire employees of daily wages of public service stores throughout the country as part of their “rights” policy, the sources revealed on Saturday.
The measure, which affects an estimated of 2,500 to 2,600 workers, was previously approved by the Board of Directors of the Profit Store Corporation (USC).
According to the sources, the directives for the termination of the employees have already been issued by the respective zonal offices, indicating the beginning of the reduction process.
The dismissals are in line with the broader policy of the government to rationalize the workforce and reduce expenses.
The decision occurs as part of continuous restructuring efforts within the USC, which has been under financial tension.
While officials have cited economic challenges and efficiency concerns such as the ratio of cuts, the resistance of employees and affected unions is expected to face the measure.
The Board of the USC had deliberate the matter in previous meetings, concluding that the reduction of the number of daily salary personnel was necessary to align with the budgetary limitations and the objectives of operational efficiency. The government’s “rights” policy aims to rationalize operations in state entities, potentially affecting other sectors in the future.
It is pertinent to observe that the Federal Minister of Industries and Production, Rana Tanveer Hussain, recently clarified that the Government has no plans to close public service stores, but will restructure them.
In response to the concerns raised in the National Assembly by the leader of PPP, Raja Pervaiz Ashraf, said that stores would continue to operate, although reforms were needed to improve efficiency.
The minister said that public service stores were originally established to provide affordable essential goods, but many were established in unnecessary locations due to political influence. He recognized cases of political appointments within the organization, which would be addressed during restructuring while ensuring that the works of regular employees remained safe.
It is worth noting that there were rumors that the government would suspend sugar, wheat and kitchen oil subsidies.
