People disappointed on budget, govt employees reject 15% salary increase

[Naveed Yaseen]

Rawalpindi: People belonging to different walks of life expressed disappointment after listening to the Federal Budget 2009-2010 speech by Minister of State for Finance and Economic Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar.

Most people interviewed by ‘The News’ expressed anger over getting no relief in prices of items of daily use. They said that they were disappointed as there was no major relief for poor people in the budget speech.

Muhammad Kamran Abbasi, a government employee standing outside an electronic shop near Chandni Chowk with a number of people, told ‘The News’ that he listened to the budget speech only to know whether the government would announce increase in their salaries. “I am disappointed that the government announced only 15% increase in salaries of government employees.”

Talking to ‘The News,’ Kanwal Nasreen, a housewife, said that every year she listens to the budget speech in the hope of announcement of relief so that she could have more money for her domestic budget. She said that this year too, the budget was a disappointment for middle-income people.

Rehan Ahmed, a second-year student, said that he had only one interest in the budget speech — whether the government has any plan to launch a cheaper transport service. “I am disappointed as no such announcement was made,” he added.

Nasir Mehmood, a mill worker, said that he was listening to the budget speech to find whether the government was going to decrease prices of ‘atta,’ sugar, ghee, pulses, onion, potato and other items.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182918
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Malik Ayub Sumbal & Obaid Abrar Khan

Rawalpindi
Terming it ridiculous, almost all labour unions of government departments here Saturday bitterly criticised the 15 per cent ad hoc relief in the salaries of government servants.

The leaders rejected the nominal increase on the view that it is totally unmatched with the 33 per cent price hike in the country during the last fiscal year and on top of that, is ad hoc allowance.

Deputy General Secretary (North) Pakistan Workers Federation Muhammad Akram Bunda said, “The employees were expecting a handsome increase in their salaries, but the ad hoc relief allowance of 15 per cent is shocking for us as well as other labour unions of the country,” adding that this increase is being made only on the basic salaries while increase in all other allowances have been ignored.

He said Pakistan People’s Party used to be considered a labour-friendly political party, but the present budget’s announcement has dashed the hopes of the salaried class.

Akram Bunda said according to the government figures, the poverty ratio increased by 22 per cent in 2008 while independent sources rate it at 33 per cent. “The government should increase the employees’ salaries to at least up to 30 per cent, as it is not possible for them to make both ends meet in the ongoing worst price-hike scenario,” he said.

Office-bearers of the private sector unions strongly regretted the government’s apathy towards the low-paid daily wagers, as nothing was said in the budget about the minimum pay that was fixed at Rs6,000 in the last budget.

A number of private labour union leaders said there is nothing attractive for them in this year’s budget.

Muhammed Zaman Khan Niazi, President General Labour Union of Daily Wagers of Raja Bazaar, said no relief was announced for the daily wagers, who are still working below the minimum wage, set by the government last year.

The retired government servants appreciated the increases in their pensions, as according to them, it would definitely help them in tackling the price-hike phenomenon and meeting their daily expenses. Sajjad Haider, a retired employee, said, “The 15 per cent increase in pensions will help us in managing our expenses.”

The old age employees, however, expressed their dissatisfaction over the budget, as it offered no increase for them. A huge population of old age employees have been neglected in this year’s budget by the pro-poor government, they remarked.

http://www.thenews.com.pk/daily_detail.asp?id=182915