RAHIM YAR KHAN: Dozens of employees of a beverages company held a demonstration at GPO Chowk on Wednesday against forced terminations.

Speaking to protesters, South Asia Coordinator of International Union of Food Workers (IUF) Qammarul Hasan said workers would fight against this policy.

Qammar said the company had started negotiations with workers but when the whole matter was near completion, the company walked out.He said later company introduced a Voluntary Separation Scheme (VSS) for workers but when the workers did not accept it, 40 employees from six plants and three sales centers in the country were terminated. He said the company should withdraw its decision immediately and restore all the sacked employees.

Pakistan Food Workers Federation (PFWF) general secretary Said Zaman said if terminated workers were not restored the protest would be extended to Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Islamabad and Peshawer in next stages.

A company spokesman said restructuring process included the elimination of several categories of positions. He said the company had offered a generous Voluntary Separation Scheme.

He said a vast majority of employees, including employees who were union members, accepted the VSS but a small number of former employees, who were also union members, refused to accept the separation offer.

He said the company was still willing to meet union representatives to discuss alternatives for resolving the situation.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2014