Tourism in trouble: PTDC employees strike enters 10th day
Staffers demand payment of dues, termination of managing director.
Staffers demand payment of dues, termination of managing director. PHOTO: tourism.gov.pk
GILGIT:
The protest of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) employees in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) entered its 10th day on Wednesday.
More than a dozen employees of PTDC staged a sit-in on June 17 in a camp outside the G-B Assembly, hoping their demands – which include payment of dues – will eventually be accepted. However, 10 days on, their demands are yet to be met.
“We want our dues of nearly 18 months to be paid. This is one of our demands,” said an employee, Akbar Khan.
In addition, the employees have also demand the termination of PTDC Managing Director Mir Jehan Kethran and the 1,100 appointments he made ‘illegally’ since 2010, he added.
Nearly 110 employees in 10 hotels across G-B are observing the strike. “Unless our demands are met, we will continue our boycott,” warned Akbar.
G-B secretary tourism Akhtar Rizvi said talks are underway with employees to settle the issue. “A bailout package for them is under consideration,” he added.
While tourism in G-B has already suffered a death blow in the wake of the attack on foreign climbers at a base camp of Nanga Parbat, the strike has multiplied tourists’ woes in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2013.
The protest of Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) employees in Gilgit-Baltistan (G-B) entered its 10th day on Wednesday.
More than a dozen employees of PTDC staged a sit-in on June 17 in a camp outside the G-B Assembly, hoping their demands – which include payment of dues – will eventually be accepted. However, 10 days on, their demands are yet to be met.
“We want our dues of nearly 18 months to be paid. This is one of our demands,” said an employee, Akbar Khan.
In addition, the employees have also demand the termination of PTDC Managing Director Mir Jehan Kethran and the 1,100 appointments he made ‘illegally’ since 2010, he added.
Nearly 110 employees in 10 hotels across G-B are observing the strike. “Unless our demands are met, we will continue our boycott,” warned Akbar.
G-B secretary tourism Akhtar Rizvi said talks are underway with employees to settle the issue. “A bailout package for them is under consideration,” he added.
While tourism in G-B has already suffered a death blow in the wake of the attack on foreign climbers at a base camp of Nanga Parbat, the strike has multiplied tourists’ woes in the region.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 27th, 2013.