PTCL ‘troublemakers’ won’t get salary, bonus
By Zulqernain Tahir
LAHORE: The Pakistan Telecommunication Limited (PTCL) has withheld the salary for the month of August and Eid bonus of all its employees to “force the protesters to call off their strike”.
The PTCL board of directors has reportedly taken the decision after it fails to get the workers back to work.
On Thursday, the management issued an order which reads: “It is to inform that keeping in view the current performance, the release of the salary of August 2010 and bonus has been withheld. Now the salary and bonus will be given to only those employees whose performance of duty and attendance are verified by their officers concerned. The general-manager (MP) will ensure the payment of salary after receiving verified reports from the senior and general manager of Human Resource. These instructions are applicable to all employees of the company.”
The PTCL employees have been observing strike for the last five days against the management’s decision about denying them 50 per cent raise in their salary as announced by the federal government.
The strike has not only hampered the working of the company but its subscribers are also facing a great deal of inconvenience as their complaints are not being redressed. Owing to the strike thousands of telephones could not be restored besides the company’s internet service is also down.
PTCL SEVP (corporate development) Sikandar Naqi told Dawn the company had taken the decision to give a clear-cut message to its employees that they would have to concentrate on their work as they were no more part of a public sector entity.
“The strike is illegal. The strikers will not get salary and other benefits. Salary is given for rendering services and not for holding strikes and creating troubles for the organisation,” Mr Naqi said, making it further clear that salary, bonus and other privileges would be now performance based.
“The status of PTCL is like that of PIA and OGDC, and the BoDs’ not the federal government’s decisions are applicable to it. We have given raise in salaries, bonus and promotion to our employees according to our rules and regulations,” the SEVP said. He said even the Lahore High Court had termed their strike illegal.
A PTCL employees’ union leader warned that all staff would go on an indefinite strike and hold demonstrations across the country if the management went ahead with this ‘anti-workers’ plan. “It amounts to economic murder of the company’s employees.” he said.
Source: Dawn
Date:8/20/2010
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