PMTF employees unpaid for four months

Last year, govt had approved transfer of state-fun factory to SPD

KARACHI: For the last four months, over 700 employees at Pakistan Machine Tool Factory (PMTF) have gone without their salaries, even though the state-run tools manufacturing unit reportedly completed contracts worth Rs7.5 billion in 2019.

"The management considers us to be deaf and dumb. They have forsaken us," complained PMTF workers' Liberal Union general secretary Mairaj Ahmed. "We are struggling to make ends meet and feed our families while they are feasting in air-conditioned rooms."

According to Ahmed, the employees were working daily shifts of eight hours or longer, but were still not being paid for their work.

In a letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Liberal Union appealed to the premier to order the payment of their dues immediately, pointing out that the situation had left them unable to feed their families, pay for utilities or medicines and even cover their children's school fees. "The matter has brought workers to the verge of suicide," states the letter.

Meanwhile, former PMTF managing director Shaukat Khawaja, who stepped down from his position on Monday, said that the federal government was making efforts to transfer the facility from the Ministry of Industries and Production to the Strategic Plans Division (SPD) of the Ministry of Defence. According to him, this would help resolve the problem of unpaid salaries and provide relief for the workers.

In March 2019, the government had approved the transfer of the ailing tools manufacturer to the SPD in an effort to turn it around. At the time, the federal cabinet's Economic Coordination Committee was informed about the SPD's track record of helping facilities such as the Heavy Mechanical Complex.

According to sources in the PMTF, the factory was entertaining tender contracts from various organisations, and had managed to complete contracts worth Rs7.5 billion in 2019.

At the same time, however, workers also resorted to a protest against the factory administration last year, after the PMTF failed to pay daily-wage labourers and permanent employees for three consecutive months.

On Friday, a meeting of the PMTF board of directors was held to discuss the transfer to the SPD. According to a source, Khawaja was allegedly asked to resign from his position as managing director immediately during the meeting. Following this, Mehtab Alam took over as the managing director.

The new managing director couldn't be reached for comment.