News

UNI Telecoms Solidarity Message

Solidarity Support for Pakistan Employees Telecom Union

The Pakistan Employees Telecom Union and their pensioners are faced with unfair union busting by national phone provider PCTL Company and management.



The PTCL refuse to bargain with the union and refuse to join an initiative to peacefully resolve the conflict. In fact the PTCL management has actively worked with the government to use local police forces to jail strikers to undermine peaceful demonstrations when the workers are exercising their fundamental rights to organise, bargain and strike.



Now the PTCL Management has illegally stopped annual bonuses of more than 2,000 employees, and the salary of more than 500 employees. More than 250 employees have been terminated by clear cut violations of Pakistan Labour Laws. The National Industrial Relation Commission has suspended these termination orders and declared unfair labour practices on the part of employer but Management has not obeyed these orders.



More than 39,000 pensioners of PTC and PTCL are guaranteed pension coverage and protection through the Pakistani Telecommunications Employees Trust (PTET). Recently the government has announced increases in pension and health benefits due to extreme economic inflation of prices. Even though, PTET has been disbursing pensions and pension benefits like increases notified by the government to its pensioners consistently since its formation, PTET has failed to increase the pension benefits, and a notification to its pensioners of the government notice regarding increases.



The 2,200 participants at the 3rd UNI Global Union Congress in Nagasaki call on the PTCL management to

· Immediately stop all unfair labour practices and intimidations against PTCL workers and members of the Union;

· Immediately pay the salary and bonuses due to the 2,000 employees.

· Demand PTET to increase the gross pension benefits by 15% and medical allowance by 20% as mandated by the government.