327 municipalities' employees in city to press for salaries

FE Report
Around 15,000 employees of country's 327 municipalities kicked off a sit-in programme in the city on Saturday for an indefinite period to realise their various demands including retirement benefits and regular payment of salaries.
The employees under the banner of Bangladesh Association of Pourashava (municipality) Service (BAPS) vowed to continue their peaceful work abstention programme until their demands are met.
The employees of municipalities were facing financial hardship as they were not getting their salaries regularly.
"We have been passing our days with great miseries due to financial constraints. Many of us could not get their salaries regularly," said BAPS general secretary Md Shahidul Islam at the programme in front of the National Press Club.
He said around 15 employees fell sick during the programme and were admitted to hospital for treatment.
"We will continue our programme peacefully until our demands are met," he said.
The employees of municipalities were not getting their salaries for two to 60 months, he added.
The employees of Shantahar municipality in Lalmonirhat did not get their salaries for the last 58 months. The employees of Lalmohan municipality in Bhola were going without salaries for about 44 months. There had been no salary for the employees of Kumarkhali municipality in Kushtia for about 26 months.
When asked whether they raised the issues with the government earlier, he said, "We submitted memorandums in the past to the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Cooperatives and the Prime Minister's Office. But we are yet to get any positive result."
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