ISLAMABAD – A protest by the workers of the Utility Stores Corporation (USC) against the possible closure of the stores is gaining momentum as it entered the second day on Tuesday.
Hundreds of employees on Monday marched down to the Red Zone on Monday and blocked the D-Chowk to press the federal government to accept their demands.
This is the first massive sit-in being faced by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) since the strikes carried out by the Radio Pakistan employees. The agitators also took their breakfast at the D-Chowk and refused to end the sit-in until their demands are met.
The employees of the country’s biggest state-run retail chain are asking the government to withdraw the possible plan of privatising the USC and clear the Rs2.76 billion subsidy claim pending for the previous seven years. They also demanded permanent employment for contractual and daily wage employees.
The chain of stores has been closed across the country until their demands are met, the employees said.
They also warned of marching down on the Parliament House if the government did not pay heed to their demands.
