HYEDRABAD: Lady Health Workers are not getting their monthly salaries due to delay in the biometric verification process. The All Sindh Lady Health Workers and Employees Union (ASLHWEU) organised its second annual convention at Hyderabad Press Club in collaboration with Workers Education and Research Organisation (WERO) and Public Service International (PSI). The purpose of the event was to share the annual performance of the union and present organisational situation. ASLHWEU president Haleema Zulqarnain said that health workers faced enormous financial problems. ASLHWEU General Secretary Shama Gulani said that Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah had announced to include all staff of Sindh Lady Health Workers’ programme in the budget book in June 2017. The union had appreciated the Sindh government’s decision. She further added that after inclusion of Sindh Lady Health Workers programme in the budget book, the major problem was the completion of biometric verification process, which was mandatory to get salaries through treasury. “For this purpose, the union’s delegation met the health minister, the chief secretary, the health secretary and other officers. However, the process has not been completed on time. We organised a press conference, several protests at Karachi and Hyderabad and also staged a sit-in at Giddu Chowk Hyderabad. The government has now agreed to fulfill our demands and expedite the biometric verification process,” she said. The executive body of the union visited various districts and started a membership drive. “This is being done to address the issues of LHW’s on daily basis,” Shama Gulani said. Gulani also thanked WERO and PSI for their support and said that workers should maintain discipline and unity. WERO Executive Director Mir Zulfiqar Ali said that their support would continue to strengthen the union. While appreciating the workers’ efforts, union leader Shafiq Ghauri said that it was the result of their struggle that the Supreme Court of Pakistan had announced to give permanent employment to Lady Health Workers. “Maintain unity for the strengthening of the union,” Ghauri said. He said that the Sindh government should implement labour laws and provide rights to the employees. In the end, the general secretary presented their demands to the government, including completion of documentation work on priority basis, developing ID’s of employees, give running scale, clearing all dues of current and retired workers, providing security to polio workers, deputing polio workers in their respective home areas during polio campaigns. Lady health workers, leaders of labour union and civil society from various districts of Sindh and journalists participated in the convention.. Published in Daily Times, January 1st 2018.