Deadlock between utility store employees, govt persists

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GEO NEWS
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ISLAMABAD: The deadlock between the utility stores employees and the government continued on Wednesday for a third day as the employees continue to protest against the likely closure of the stores and permanent contracts.

Hundreds of employees of the Utility Stores Corporation have gathered in D-Chowk from across the country to protest against the likely closure of the stores and demand permanent contracts.

The employees of the Utility Stores Corporation, the country’s biggest state-run retail chain, have urged the government to settle Rs27.6 billion worth of its subsidy claims pending for the last seven years, which is creating a financial crunch for the corporation, leading to its possible closure.

According to sources, Prime Minister Imran Khan’s adviser on commerce, textiles, industries production and investment Abdul Razzaq Dawood, is expected to meet with the protesters today in order to resolve their issues.

The commerce adviser's secretary said, “We are ready to accept all the demands of the protesters except for the permanent employment one.”

However, the employees said they will continue to protest until all their demands are met including the permanent employment one. 

On Tuesday, PM's Special Assistant for Political Affairs, Naeemul Haque had tweeted that all the demands made by utility stores employees were reasonable and acceptable to the government.

In his tweet, Haque said the Pakistan Peoples Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz in the last ten years had destroyed utility stores and made it bankrupt. He added that these two parties were “now trying to incite some miscreants.”