PTCL workers end strike on Farooq's assurance

[Lahore_Real_Estate]

Lahore (September 17 2010): Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) workers unions have ended their month-long strike showing assurance by the Federal Minister for Overseas Pakistanis Dr Farooq Sattar that the PTC Management would amicably resolve the issue of increase in the workers' salaries

The Minister's PRO Saleem Ahmad told Business Recorder on Thursday that a delegation of PTCL unions met Farooq Sattar, who is also Deputy Convenor of MQM, earlier in the day and requested him to intervene for the solution of the workers problems. According to Sattar, the MQM leadership will use its good relations and influence with the PTCL management to accept genuine demands of the workers. He also said that he was hopeful their salaries would be raised in a couple of days.

Dr Farooq said both the management and the workers must realise that PTCL is a national institution and the largest telecommunication services provider to the customers. In case of interruption in these essential services, it is the end user including banks, financial institutions, business and trading community and general public that suffer the most.

He assured the workers that if the PTCL management did not accept their genuine demands, MQM would also join their struggle as it was a pro-workers party. PTCL labour leaders thanked the Minister for his keen interest in ending the month-long strike and said MQM was the only political party that had sided with them in their hour of trial. Joint Incharge of MQM labour division Assad Ejaz was also present in the meeting and assisted the Minister in reaching an understanding.

Talking to Business Recorder after the meeting, Patron PTCL linemen Union Hafiz Lutfullah and PTCL union leader Gulzar Tanoli said that Dr Farooq Sattar had a telephonic talk with President and CEO PTCL Management Walid Irshaid who is in Dhabi about the workers demands. They claimed that the Management has agreed to give a 40 percent raise in workers salaries immediately and consider another 10 percent increase in December this year. The workers were demanding 50 percent ad hoc relief in their salaries.

A PTCL press release said that the recent illegal strike observed by some groups in PTCL is now finally coming to an end and situation is returning back to normalcy as a large number of employees have not only reported back to their workplaces but have also resumed their duties.

It said the management has already given a very generous package to the employees including salary increase, bonus, and promotion opportunities and there was absolutely no reason for any kind of a strike except for the self-serving attitude and personal agendas. The press release said that management has decided to release the salaries of all such employees who have reported back to work. Consequently, salaries of about 26,500 out of 29,000 employees have been released. The process of termination of service of those employees who are still abstaining from work or resorting to these acts of hooliganism has been started, it added.