The meeting presided over by Tehsil Nazim Haji Roidad Ahmad Sajid was attended, among others, by Roidad Ahmad Sajid, Member Tehshil Council Chitral; Alam Zeb Khan, chairman Village Council Ashrait 2; Wali Ahmad, Vice Chairman Village Council Ashrait; Bahadar Said, Village Council Ashrait 2; Fida Hussain, Kissan Counselor, Ashrait 2; Nisar Ahmad, Youth Counselor Ashrait 2, and Sardar Hayat , social worker from Ashrait.
The participants of the meeting said the government of Pakistan had already fixed the minimum wage of the labour at Rs15,000. Therefore, it is demanded that the laborers should be paid at least this minimum wage.
They said the Sambu company should pay salary to the labourers on the first day of every month. The holy Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) says the the labour should be paid his wage before his sweat dry up.
The participants said the SAMBU company had installed a water filtration plant to clean the water of a nearby stream from the pollution due to the construction work but unfortunately the inhabitants of the area are compelled to drink the polluted water as the plant remains non-functional. This is causing different diseases among the people of Ashrait, they added.
The meeting also said work should be taken from the labourers for which they had been hired and were being paid, so that they can carry out their duty efficiently.
The duty hours should be fixed according to the government of Pakistan and international lows and extra work done by the workers on the directions of their supervisors should be compensated in terms of overtime.
On the southern side of the tunnel, drivers hired by the company are paid Rs38,000 per month each but on the northern side in Chitral the rate has been fixed at Rs35,000. So the drivers give preference to work on the southern side. Therefore, it is demanded that a uniform compensation should be fixed for the drivers on both the sides.
Uniform transport should also be allotted for the labourers for their pick and drop. The transport facilities should be given to them according to the laws of the country. Dumpers and tractors should not be used for the pick and drop of the workers. In case of an accident of a dumper, hindereds of laborers would lose their lives.
Half day duty should be taken from the labourers on Friday, so that they can prepare for Friday prayers.
There are no toilets on the northern side for the tunnel for the laborer; therefore, it is strongly demanded that toilets should be constructed without further delay.
They also said that Rs400 have been deducted from the salary of the labors but no medical facilities are available on the spot if a labors got wound.
An out-of-order ambulance is available and it does not function in emergency time. Therefore, it is demanded that an up dated ambulance should be arranged for the labors in emergency time.
The labors mess condition is unhygienic even though Rs2600 are deducted from the salaries of the workers. So it is demanded that the condition of the mess should be improved.
Usually, laborers are regularized after three months service but in SAMBU company it is not the case.
As many as 146 labourers on both sides have been sacked without issuing them any show-cause notice.
According to law, the labourers should get gratuity after six months, but the company paying the gratuity after a year.
The meeting said that if the company did not fulfill the above-mentioned demands, the workers would be left with no other option but to move the High Court for their rights.
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