Strike at National Savings Causes Massive Losses

Over 7 million clients comprising senior citizens, pensioners, widows and orphans were facing difficulties as employees of National Savings were observing strike from last one week to get their issues resolved.

The employees Union had shutdown the whole operation of the Central Directorate of National Saving CDNS and asked its over 4, 000 workers for halting work and stage sit-in before all main and field offices to record their protest.

The strike is causing a loss of around Rs 3 to 4 billion daily to National Savings which is a major source of fetching internal loans for meeting financial requirements of the country.

It had been learned that National Savings had Rs 3400 billion in portfolio investments, as it is a mega institution of the country. It has been providing investment and saving facilities in terms of different saving certificates by its 374 countrywide branches to over 7 million people.

Meanwhile, senior representatives of employees union told APP here on Tuesday that due to mismanagement of the senior officials, the institution is facing issues. They informed that due to non-hiring of essential staff, the existing staff is facing huge pressure and it is difficult for them to run their daily business in their offices. They also said that the deployed staff is waiting for their promotions from last several years and went on to say that about 600 job vacancies have been laying vacant for last many years while no recruitment of most essential staff has been made despite repeated requests to senior management. Over 90 posts of information experts were vacant and rather than hiring of the staff or granting promotion to incumbents, the task of provision of IT experts was given to a private firm.

The Union demanded of the government for taking immediate measures to fulfill their demands including up-gradation of employees, amendment in rules of recruitment and increasing their allowances. When tried to get official point of view on prevailing situation from senior management of CDNS, no one was available to comment despite repeated contacts.

(APP)