LAHORE: The Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union (FBR Union) has threatened to go on a countrywide strike from next Monday (Dec 29) to protest poor security measures at the regional tax offices (RTOs) and suspension of nine union workers for raising a voice in this regard.

Union Central President Mian Abdul Qayyum told newsmen on Tuesday the union had formally conveyed to the chief commissioner of Inland Revenue, Regional Tax Office, to fulfill their demands within a week otherwise they would go on a complete strike.

“The RTOs, being one of the sensitive buildings, are on the hit list of militants and there should be proper security arrangements. Our union members, who had been suspended from service for raising a voice against poor security arrangements, should be reinstated and FIRs lodged against them be withdrawn,” he said.

Mr Qayyum regretted the security arrangements at all regional offices were miserable as instead of properly trained security staff, peons, bailiffs and notice-servers, who did not know even how to pick a rifle, had been deputed for the security of more than 2,200 staff of RTOs where the record of billions of rupees was kept.

He said bailiff Arif Baig was mentally tortured to the extent while performing duty as a security guard that he had a stroke and was paralysed.

The union would arrange a gathering on Wednesday (today) for his recovery as well as for the martyrs of Peshawar incident.

Published in Dawn, December 24th, 2014