Sindh water employees threaten suspension amid salary delay

Water and sewerage workers in Sindh will stop their services until their overdue salary and pension payments are received. The Mehran Workers Union reported that employees at the Hyderabad Water and Sewerage Corporation have not received their salaries for 17 months.

The union plans to halt water supply and sewerage services from the 20th of Ramadan if the government does not release the funds.

The union leaders explained that the delay has caused many families to experience financial troubles. The widows of deceased workers have been denied pensions, and they continue to visit offices with their orphaned children to request assistance.

The upcoming Eid al-Fitr holiday will create serious issues for residents if the services stop operating. Workers reported that blocked sewer lines will create massive overflows, which will impact areas situated at lower elevations.

The workers have made multiple appeals to authorities, according to General Secretary Mujtaba Aslam Abbasi. The authorities met with local government Minister Syed Nasir Hussain Shah for assurance that he would take action but nothing has happened since that meeting.

Abbasi stated that the HWSC management and the Hyderabad Mayor have failed to make substantial progress toward solving the problem. The union reported that the total amount of unpaid salaries and pensions to workers amounts to millions of rupees.

Many workers struggle to afford food, rent, and basic utilities. Some people have sold their personal belongings to survive. The union asked the Sindh government to release the funds immediately so essential services can continue without interruption.

Water utility staff in Sindh have experienced payment delays, according to expert analysis. Other departments have participated in protests that focused on unpaid payments.

The union has asked the provincial government to arrange emergency discussions. The workers require the government to establish a specific payment schedule, which will protect their payments from any future delays. Residents support the cause, but they worry about how the shutdown will affect them, which will begin just before Eid.