ISLAMABAD: Utility Stores Corporation (USC) employees on Thursday staged a protest and locked up the headquarters over non-payment of dues.
Although the federal government announced the closure of operations on July 31 and allocated Rs30 billion for a separation scheme, funds have yet to be released by the Finance Ministry.
Over 11,000 employees of the Utility Stores Corporation have been deprived of salaries and separation scheme dues for several months.
Salaries for April, July, and August remain unpaid, while on September 1, more than 7,000 employees were dismissed without compensation to avoid paying September salaries.
Earlier, 4,000 workers had already lost their jobs.
The protesters said no work would be carried out at the headquarters until their dues and salaries were paid. They also warned of a sit-in in Islamabad if their demands were not met.
Employees have appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for immediate payment of salaries and dues, warning of legal action if relief is not provided.
They also warned that the protest could intensify to the magnitude that work in other government offices could also be affected.
