Pakistan: Lahore Metro paying huge salaries to Chinese employees in comparison to locals, highlighting pay disparity in the institute

This huge disparity between the salaries of Chinese and Pakistani staff could affect the operations of OLMT because of lower morale of the local staff. Besides the huge difference in the salaries, the Pakistani staff is also given a different grade system than the Chinese.

According to sources, as many as 200 Chinese workers were recruited for OLMT who are drawing salaries in Chinese Yuan (CNY) while the Pakistani staff is being paid in Pakistani rupees (PKR), the newspaper reported.

On Wednesday, the value of 1 CNY against 1 PKR was equal to Rs 24.02.

According to the data of salaries of 93 Chinese working at OLMT project, available with the scribe, the Chinese staff is highly paid.

If the salaries of Pakistani officials working on the same/equivalent seats are compared with those of Chinese staff, the Pakistan employees are getting mere peanuts.

According to data, a Chinese-origin deputy chief executive officer/CFO/director with grade L2 is being paid 136,000 CNY per month which is equal to over Rs 3.26 million. There were three positions and all were filled with Chinese.

No Pakistani was hired on this designation, the newspaper reported.

A Chinese official posted to the rank of DGM is getting 83,000 CNY/month which is equal to over Rs 1.9 million/month whereas Pakistani official Umer Chishti, DGM Equipment and Maintenance, of the same rank is getting Rs 625,000 per month. Another locally recruited DGM (Finance and Accounts), Salmanul Haq, is being paid Rs 400, 000, The News International reported highlighting the disparity in the salary received by the employees.

As many as 43 people of Chinese origin were recruited on the slots of technicians/train operators and each person is being paid 47,500 CNY, equal to over Rs 1.13 million, the newspaper reported.

On the other hand, Ateeq Ur Rehman, a locally recruited train operator/train crew, is getting merely Rs 60,000. This huge disparity in the salaries will affect the operation system of OLMT, several local officials working in the project said on the condition of anonymity, the newspaper reported.