KARACHI: Sacked employees of the Pakistan Steel Mills ended their hours-long protest on railway tracks in Bin Qasim, which had caused suspension of train service, it emerged on Wednesday.

The PSM employees staged a sit-in on the main tracks, which continued for 12 hours and ended at midnight on Tuesday after successful talks between the protesters and the provincial government led by Minister for Labour Saeed Ghani.

The PSM officers’ union president, Maqsood Ahmed, told Dawn on Wednesday that they ended the protest after assurances of the Sindh government that they would take up their issue of retrenchment with the federal government. Besides, they also did not want inconveniences to the people by blocking the train service for an indefinite period.

He said that Mr Ghani had assured them that he would approach the chief minister of Sindh to set up a committee, which may take up their issue of retrenchment with the centre and problems arising out of it.

Mr Ahmed disclosed that the Sindh government had also indicated to them that they might offer the federal government to buy the PSM.

He recalled that the Sindh government had also made such an offer in the recent past.

Moreover, the PSM officials’ union leader said that they along with trade unions and political parties were planning country-wide protest against sacking of the PSM employees to put pressure on the Centre to take back the retrenchment of thousands of employees.

The PSM employees on Wednesday also held a meeting with the Sindh labour minister.

Maqsood Ahmed said that Mr Ghani was also expected to hold a press conference about the issues on Thursday and they were waiting for it before initiating future course of action.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2020