Islamabad - Dozens of Metropolitan Corporation Islamabad employees on Monday staged a protest demonstration against the decision of privatizing the sanitation directorate of the Corporation, in front of the Mayor’s office here.

The employees assembled at the gate of the Mayor’s office and chanted slogans against privatization. Holding placards inscribed with demands as “MCI nai CDA chaheiay” (We want to be transferred from MCI to CDA), the employees chanted against the policies of the Corporation.

They were of the view that the privatization would render hundreds of the sanitation workers jobless. The employees had been protesting against the proposed privatization since long. The sanitation workers and the union representatives had been opposing privatization of the directorate as they were concerned whether their jobs will be at stake when garbage collection is outsourced.

However, the administration of the Capital Development Authority had assured the CDA Labour Union to help them stop privatization of the sanitation directorate. The CDA had assured the labour union to take up the issue with the MCI. The union representatives had, last month held a meeting with the CDA high-ups to discuss privatization of the directorate and other issues pertaining to CDA employees. On request of the Labour Union representatives, DG Civic Management assured to take up the issue with MCI high ups.

But the directorate of sanitation, MCI continued with the plan and invited bids for privatization of cleaning services including cleaning, sweeping, collection and transportation of solid waste from sector G-6, G-7, G-8, G-9, G-10, G-11, I-8, Blue Area, Kashmir Highway, Expressway, Lehtrar Road, Farash Town, Humak etc, Islamabad under three different packages on May 26. The action on part of the sanitation directorate also provided the political figures to cash in on the issue and lead the protesters up to the gates of the Mayor’s office. As the election season starts, the candidates are trying to capitalise on the issues pertaining to the residents of the city, of which a large number are CDA employees.