KARACHI, Dec 6: A trade union of the Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited staged a protest demonstration in front of the Karachi Press Club here on Tuesday, demanding reinstatement of 1,900 contract employees and seeking abolition of the surplus pool.

The Pakistan Telecommunication Lion’s Unity served an ultimatum on the PTCL and Pak Telecom management for fulfilling all the demands failing which a countrywide protest drive would be launched.

The other demands of the union included payment of annual bonus without any deductions, and conveyance and medical allowance to those regularised recently.

PTLU President Latif Qureshi while addressing the gathering gave a token strike call for Friday (Dec 9), and said that the PTLU would meet representatives of other major unions to devise a joint strategy.

He criticized the deal made by other unions of the PTCL with the management and alleged that had made a deal ignoring the rights of workers and labourers. He said that 35,000 employees were put in a surplus pool and he feared that all of them would be laid off gradually.