Staff calls off strike: Patriata chairlift service resumes
Punjab tourism officials accept contractual employees’ demands.
Chair lift and cable car system being used for going to the highest point. PHOTO: FILE
RAWALPINDI:
The Murree-Patriata Chairlift service was resumed on Friday after the management of the provincial tourism department accepted demands of its protesting employees.
“We have called off the strike after the tourism department accepted our demands,” Muhammad Tariq, a lift operator, said.
The chairlift service was suspended on June 9 following a strike by over 80 contractual and daily-wage employees of the chairlift seeking regularisation of jobs and payment of overtime.
The four-day strike caused immense problems for tourists and visitors, besides incurring financial loss to the chairlift operators.
On Friday morning Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) held talks with the representatives of the Welfare Committee of Patriata Chairlift.
In-charge Patriata Chairlift Imran Sharif told The Express Tribune that their demand for regularisation has been accepted and a summary has been forwarded to the Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for approval.
The contractual employees insisted that they had not been regularised despite serving at the tourist facility for a long time.
They had also been demanding overtime, saying during the peak season they work for 12 to 15 hours without being paid for the extra time by the department.
Currently, the chairlift service is operational in Patriata and Ayubia
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2014.
The Murree-Patriata Chairlift service was resumed on Friday after the management of the provincial tourism department accepted demands of its protesting employees.
“We have called off the strike after the tourism department accepted our demands,” Muhammad Tariq, a lift operator, said.
The chairlift service was suspended on June 9 following a strike by over 80 contractual and daily-wage employees of the chairlift seeking regularisation of jobs and payment of overtime.
The four-day strike caused immense problems for tourists and visitors, besides incurring financial loss to the chairlift operators.
On Friday morning Tourism Development Corporation of Punjab (TDCP) held talks with the representatives of the Welfare Committee of Patriata Chairlift.
In-charge Patriata Chairlift Imran Sharif told The Express Tribune that their demand for regularisation has been accepted and a summary has been forwarded to the Punjab chief minister Shahbaz Sharif for approval.
The contractual employees insisted that they had not been regularised despite serving at the tourist facility for a long time.
They had also been demanding overtime, saying during the peak season they work for 12 to 15 hours without being paid for the extra time by the department.
Currently, the chairlift service is operational in Patriata and Ayubia
Published in The Express Tribune, June 14th, 2014.