LAHORE - The Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union has threatened to hold protest demonstrations all over the country against the discrimination in duty hours of lower staff of the Inland Revenue. The decision was taken following central president’s meeting with the regional leaders of the union.
FBR Union central president Mian Abdul Qayyum strongly condemned discriminatory attitude of the high officials of the FBR, who perform their duty without any timetable or schedule while forcing the lower staff to sit in the office for extra time which is totally illegal and against the rules.
“If the lower staff, which reaches their offices at 9am, is asked to be remain present in RTOs till late night by the officers, they should be paid overtime. When staff arrives at 9am they should be relieved at 5pm after completing their eight-hour duty and if official requirement is retaining them in offices the department is bound to pay them overtime.”
“The fact is that officers, who attend office at 12 to 1pm and sit there by 8 to 9pm for personal reasons, could not compel their assisting staff to perform extra duty without additional salary.” Mian Qayyum also criticized the unfair practice of Commissioner Inland Revenue Withholding Zone, RTO Lahore, Nadim Arif, who arrives at the RTO in the afternoon and remains there till late at night but his lower staff, which reached on duty early in the morning, is forced to accompany him till late night to assist him in his personal work.
Union president said that if employees ever refused to perform extra job the commissioner threatens them to freeze their allowances, issuing them charge sheet, show cause notices etc. Mian Abdul Qayyum warned the officers to shun this discrimination of duty hours for lower staff, saying that if employees will do additional duty they must have been paid over time. If this illegal practice is not stopped the union will hold protest demonstration in all RTOs till the end of this illegal practice.