Strike when the iron’s hot: PCS warn of complete pen down strike from Monday
Continue token boycott from 10am to 12pm; refute reports of ending protest
Continue token boycott from 10am to 12pm; refute reports of ending protest. PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
The token strike of Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officers continued for a third consecutive day across the province and the tribal belt, a clear indicator that the chief secretary’s attempts to end the boycott had failed.
PCS officers wore black armbands, boycotted duties from 10am till 12pm and continued their symbolic strike which started on Monday.
“It will continue until [coming] Monday,” a member of the PCS Officers Association said. “On that day, we will announce our decision on a complete pen-down strike,”
He refuted news reports of ending the strike after a meeting with the chief secretary.
A delegation of the PCS Association held a meeting with Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan on Wednesday and submitted a document.
It issued a press release after the meeting, stating Amjad Ali assured them of resolving their administrative issues and delays in promotion within two weeks.
He said other matters such as discrimination in transfers and postings, ignoring PCS officers for mandatory trainings, victimisation, women officers’ issues and civil services reforms would also be looked into and resolved.
“We have not called off the ongoing token strike and will go for a complete strike from Monday as we see it as the sole solution to our problems,” the official said. Insiders in the association said a delegation of the association of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS), the federal cadre of officers, also met PCS officials on Monday at the FATA Secretariat. They tried to show solidarity with their provincial counterparts.
“The PAS delegation says the issues of both associations are joint, but this is not true,” an insider said. “We are holding a strike which shows we are facing problems, not them. This strike is something unprecedented and a very serious issue because we are the government, but we are protesting against the government.”
According to insiders, the association’s members are ready for the complete strike, “We can’t call off the strike on verbal assurances. We want the issues to be resolved first. Last year, we called off our strike based on promises but were victimised in return.”
The officials were also unhappy over the slow progress of the assembly and the inactiveness of the technical committee on law reforms.
“The provincial assembly has not yet approached the association,” stated Wednesday’s press release.
The association’s issue was raised by Opposition Leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman on Wednesday. He said the technical committee, headed by Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, stopped working on the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2016.
The token strike of Provincial Civil Services (PCS) officers continued for a third consecutive day across the province and the tribal belt, a clear indicator that the chief secretary’s attempts to end the boycott had failed.
PCS officers wore black armbands, boycotted duties from 10am till 12pm and continued their symbolic strike which started on Monday.
“It will continue until [coming] Monday,” a member of the PCS Officers Association said. “On that day, we will announce our decision on a complete pen-down strike,”
He refuted news reports of ending the strike after a meeting with the chief secretary.
A delegation of the PCS Association held a meeting with Chief Secretary Amjad Ali Khan on Wednesday and submitted a document.
It issued a press release after the meeting, stating Amjad Ali assured them of resolving their administrative issues and delays in promotion within two weeks.
He said other matters such as discrimination in transfers and postings, ignoring PCS officers for mandatory trainings, victimisation, women officers’ issues and civil services reforms would also be looked into and resolved.
“We have not called off the ongoing token strike and will go for a complete strike from Monday as we see it as the sole solution to our problems,” the official said. Insiders in the association said a delegation of the association of the Pakistan Administrative Services (PAS), the federal cadre of officers, also met PCS officials on Monday at the FATA Secretariat. They tried to show solidarity with their provincial counterparts.
“The PAS delegation says the issues of both associations are joint, but this is not true,” an insider said. “We are holding a strike which shows we are facing problems, not them. This strike is something unprecedented and a very serious issue because we are the government, but we are protesting against the government.”
According to insiders, the association’s members are ready for the complete strike, “We can’t call off the strike on verbal assurances. We want the issues to be resolved first. Last year, we called off our strike based on promises but were victimised in return.”
The officials were also unhappy over the slow progress of the assembly and the inactiveness of the technical committee on law reforms.
“The provincial assembly has not yet approached the association,” stated Wednesday’s press release.
The association’s issue was raised by Opposition Leader Maulana Lutfur Rahman on Wednesday. He said the technical committee, headed by Minister for Mines and Mineral Development Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli, stopped working on the matter.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 6th, 2016.