PHF workers demand wages

KARACHI: Up to 28 employees of the Pakistan Hockey Federation (PHF) have been deprived of their salaries for the last four months and they have appealed to PM Shahbaz Sharif and PHF’s high officials to release their salaries considering the economic hardships due to extreme inflation as well as the Eid-ul-Azha approaching next month.

From helping to organise the senior and junior team’s training camps to the domestic competitions, these employees are always at the forefront, but they haven’t been paid timely, and are facing financial crisis for long.

The last time the employees were paid was two months ago after a four-month delay when they became cash-strapped to the extent that they weren’t able to come to the office because of being unable to bear the transport expenditures. These employees were paid on the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, but their three months’ salaries were still pending.

At the end of May, the delayed salaries will reach five months, and with Eid-ul-Azha approaching next month, the PM and other PHF high officials should take notice of the delay and issue orders for the release of salaries and all previous dues.

These employees said that they have been getting financial aid from their relatives and friends. The majority of the 28 employees get less than Rs50,000 per month salary. It has to be mentioned that federal government gave around Rs37 million special grant to PHF, keeping in view the participation in the Sultan Azlan Shah Cup, and other expenditures of PHF. The aforementioned employees are posted in PHF’s Karachi and Lahore offices.

A group of former Olympians and international hockey players expressed concern on the issue, saying that these employees are the backbone of Pakistan hockey and run all the affairs. “If they were not paid on time how they would work for the betterment of hockey,” they said.

They added that as the federal government announced the awards and cash prizes for the players of Pakistan hockey team on their recently wonderful performance, it must also release the salaries of 28 PHF employees.