Angry agitation of PTCL workers continues
By Abrar Mustafa
ISLAMABAD: Thousands of aggressive PTCL workers stormed into the premises of Headquarters on Monday to observe a sit-in, despite tight security measures taken by the management.
According to the announced plan, thousands of hostile PTCL workers from all across Pakistan gathered outside PTCL Headquarters in Islamabad to protest against, what they called, the injustice of the PTCL management towards the employees.
PTCL workers all over the country are on strike since mid August for the acceptance of their several demands including salary raise and provision of other rightful perks. Due to the failure of the recently held dialogue between the management and the workers, the union leaders had called on for a sit-in on Tuesday at the Headquarters.
On Tuesday, a large number of violent protestors tried to enter through the locked main gate of the Headquarters to observe a sit-in within the building area. Some of the protestors climbed-up the security wall and jumped into the building and busted the locks of the main gate resulting in massive entry of the angry protestors within the premises of PTCL headquarters. The workers were carrying placards and banners to register protest against the management and in favour of their demands.
The PTCL workers union leaders have called on to continue this sit-in till the acceptance of all their demands. By showing a great display of unity, the union leaders have denied accepting any crafty measures by the management to deceive the employees.
Addressing the protesting workers, Malik Maqbool Hussain said that the attitude of PTCL management towards the employees is very humiliating and the higher management is continuously portraying a wrong picture of the situation to the Etisalat management. He said that despite the approval of 50% raise in salaries of government employees in the budget 2010-11, the PTCL management has yet not implemented this decision which is binding for them too. He added that our peaceful protest would continue in same way till the approval of their demands.
Hammad ul Haq Qureshi while addressing the gathering said that the 50% raise in salaries is our constitutional right for which our protest will continue. The management has shown its worst side by freezing the salaries of the employees in the holy month of Ramazan which is highly condemnable. He said that the employees are motivated and united to get their demands accepted even at the cost of their lives.
Union leader Rana Muhammad Hassan, speaking to the demonstrators simply set aside the recent announcements made by management. He further endorsed that the strike would continue till the acceptance of their demands. Imran Jaffri, Lutfullah Qadri and other prominent union leaders also spoke to the workers.
In a press statement The PTCL administration said that that after privatization PTCL is a privately run organization, which follows private sector practices for the betterment of its employees. The current announcement by the Government of Pakistan for the raise of salaries by 50% does not apply to PTCL.
It has been said that though it was not mandatory for PTCL to raise its employee’s salary but at PTCL employees are the most valued asset of the company and their well-being and benefits have always been the top most priority, the statement added.
There are still some elements that are propagating and instigating employees, exploiting and staging protests for their own vested interests, ignoring the collective larger interest of all employees. These elements are completely oblivious of the tormented times our country and nation is going through and facing widespread devastation caused due to floods, which have also grossly affected PTCL operations also in turn compounded the problems of flood affectees. Rather they are taking advantage of the country and PTCL situation and have resorted to exploitative tactics to gain their own personal motives. And their apathetic behavior has actually brought forward their deceitful intentions towards their fellow colleagues, company and country at large, the statement concluded.
Source: The News
Date:9/1/2010
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