On Thursday, government workers in Sindh organized a massive protest in Hyderabad over the proposed pension reforms by the provincial government. The demonstration was coordinated by the Sindh Employees Alliance (SEA), which brought hundreds of workers outside of major offices where they were shouting slogans and insisting on the withdrawal of amendments that lowered the benefits of commutation and gratuity.
A pen-down strike was also witnessed, which paralyzed normal operations in various departments. The union leaders reported that the cuts would affect the lower-grade staff members, who are in need of retirement packages, disproportionately. They threatened to escalate the protest to Karachi in case their concerns are not addressed. The protest reflected the increasing discontent with austerity-based reforms, which workers claim to compromise their financial stability following a long life of work.
