July 16, 2008	Wednesday	Rajab 12, 1429

ISLAMABAD, July 15: At least 12 employees of the PTCL were injured on Tuesday when the Rangers deployed at the company’s headquarters resorted to a baton-charge and fired teargas at workers protesting against the recently introduced unified pay scales scheme.

Officials at the city administration and police criticised the Rangers action and said they had misused their powers. The Rangers had never been asked to take action against protesters, they added.

They said the incident occurred at a time when negotiations between the administration, police and union leaders of the PTCL were about to end successfully.

The negotiators were working on an agreement after the PTCL management announced acceptance of some demands, but the talks ended abruptly as union leaders left the meeting to protest Rangers’ action.

The incident took place when a major of the Rangers exchanged hot words with workers and asked his men to deal with them strictly. He also asked the Rangers to remove the workers from the main gates and break locks. This led to a scuffle. The workers pelted Rangers with stones. The Rangers then teargassed and caned the protesters, injuring 12.

The interior ministry ordered an inquiry into the incident. The chief commissioner constituted a committee comprising the additional deputy commissioner (general) and assistant commissioner (city) to complete the inquiry in 24 hours.

According to a statement issued by the deputy commissioner’s office, at about 6.30pm a third round of the meeting was in progress in the office of DC.

“Headway was made in the meeting and final modalities were being discussed when at about 7.30pm information reached that the Rangers present inside the building had reportedly resorted to use of force upon the protesting employees.

“The magistrate and police present on the spot neither authorised any use of force nor participated in the same. The ongoing successful negotiations broke down at this juncture as a consequence of this incident,” the statement said.

DEMONSTRATION: Hundreds of PTCL employees staged a demonstration outside the headquarters in protest against the unified pay scales (UPS) scheme. The demonstrators burnt copies of the UPS notification and demanded its immediate withdrawal. They chanted slogans against PTCL administration.

Union leaders accused the PTCL administration of exploiting workers. They said that salary and perks of top officials had been increased manifold while low-grade staff had been deprived of even a minimal raise.

They regretted that instead of increasing salary of the employees in line with the government announcement, the management had decided to retain permanent employees on contract from July 1 in violation of labour laws.

They threatened to launch a country-wide protest if anti-labour policies were not withdrawn.

They called for an increase in the salary, regularisation of services of all contract employees and restoration of dismissed employees.

The PTCL administration claims that the UPS offers a better remuneration package to its employees.

“Through this package employees are at the gaining end. They have nothing to lose. On one hand they will receive a substantial raise in their salaries and on the other all of their service rights will remain protected under the PTCL Service Rules 1996 and Telecom Act 1996,” it says.