End of the assembly line: Union threatens protest as govt plans to sack contractual employees

Over 850 jobs are on the line if the centre goes ahead with the decision.

HARIPUR:

The contractual staff and union members of the Telephone Industries of Pakistan (TIP) threatened to block Karakoram Highway if the centre does not reverse its decision of not renewing contracts in TIP and other state-owned organisations.

Speaking to journalists on Thursday, TIP Employees and Workers Union President Tahir Jan claimed the federal government has, in a bid to settle political scores with the previous Pakistan Peoples Party’s government, issued notifications to all government offices to stop renewing contracts of their contractual workers.

He said if the decision was taken, over 850 contractual workers of TIP would be left unemployed. Jan explained the organisation has over 700 workers hired on contractual basis who are engaged in the production and assembling of telephone sets. Another 150 workers, including over 80 women, are employed in hospitals and schools.

“If the decision is implemented, it would end the income of over 850 families,” said the union president. The TIP’s administration has received letters from the Ministry of Information Technology asking it to send a list of all temporary employees to be laid-off upon expiry of their current contracts. Jan maintained the union will not let the government sack the workers whose service tenure ranges between 10 to 20 years.

Jan added the union will first approach Mansehra MNA Muhammad Safdar and the Information Technology Standing Committee’s chairman and seek their intervention. However, he went on to add, if no result comes out of it, they will block the Karakoram Highway for an indefinite period.

While TIP Managing Director Nadeem Ahmed Khan was unavailable for comments, a deputy general manager confirmed the report. However, he said all contracts were renewed last month and by the time they expire in April, the situation would have changed in the favour of the workers.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st, 2014.