Several trains cancelled after laid off PSM employees block tracks in Karachi

Several trains en route to Karachi or leaving the port city were cancelled on Wednesday after former employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills (PSM) protested by blocking the tracks. 

The country’s biggest industrial complex – PSM – last week laid off over 4,500 of its employees in a move strongly criticized by the PPP led Sindh government.

Railway officials confirmed that two trains running between Karachi and Lahore, the Karachi Express and the Shah Hussain Express, were also cancelled due to track blockages. 

Officials added that all passengers with tickets of the cancelled trains will be fully refunded and if any passenger wishes to board a different train, Pakistan Railways will facilitate. 

The employees – 4,544 in total – were fired in the wake of an emergency meeting chaired by the PSM chief executive officer (CEO) at the CEO Secretariat. 

In June, the PTI led federal government had decided to terminate all 9,350 PSM employees, taking a giant but politically difficult step to stop years-long haemorrhaging instead of reviving the industrial unit.

The Economic Coordination Committee (ECC) of the Cabinet on June 3 had also approved to give the employees due monetary benefits along with one month salary that would cost the exchequer Rs18 billion to Rs19.7 billion. On an average, every sacked employee was estimated to receive Rs2.3 million.

According to a PSM spokesperson, the sacked employees belong to Group 2, 3 and 4 and include junior officers, assistant managers, deputy managers, managers, SEDGM and DCO employees.