Lady health workers’ protest in Lahore continues on second day

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LAHORE: The lady health workers (LHW) from different districts of Punjab continued to protest near Lahore's Charing Cross for the second consecutive day on Tuesday.

More than 250 LHWs camped on Mall Road overnight for the protest and claimed that they will not budge till their demands are met. The LHWs demand a proper service structure and scale upgradation.

The flow of traffic around Mall Road continues to be disrupted at the protest continues.

Lady health workers stage sit-in outside Punjab Assembly

Health workers complain they haven't been paid for five months

Moreover, Jamaat-e-Islami chief Siraj-ul-Haq and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed, who is the opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly, also visited the protesters and to show solidarity with them.  

On Monday, the workers staged a sit-in outside the Punjab Assembly over non-payment of salaries.

“We haven’t been paid for five months now,” a protester said. While another added saying that they last received an increment in 2012.

“Our demonstration will continue till our demands are met,” a health worker stressed.

Following this, the government allowed the release of arrears worth Rs1.2 billion for the lady health workers. The amount will reach the LHWs within 15 days.

LHWs have been protesting since a few years for various reasons, including those pertaining to their upgradation, regularisation or non-payment of salaries, across Pakistan.

However, no proper system has been put in place for the workers to continue their duty in a smooth manner.