Pakistan : NTC workers threaten agitation against union ban, sackings
PESHAWAR, Jan 20: The National Telecommunication Corporation Employees Unity Union on Jan 19 threatened agitation against the ban on union and recent dismissal and transfer of workers in the organisation.
Central
secretary general of the association Mohammad Adnan Moeen told reporters at the Peshawar Press Club that the trade union activities had been illegally banned for last three years in violation of the Supreme Court orders.
He accused the NTC chairman and human resource department of a major hurdle to the implementation of the court’s orders.
Mr. Moeen said the NTC had dismissed a large number of workers and transferred many, including the central and regional office-bearers of the employees union, for taking part in trade body activities.
He also complained that show-cause notices had been issued to scores of NTC employees to the unrest of the countrywide staff members, while workers had been illegally forced to give affidavit that they won’t take part in union activities.
The union leader insisted that the NTC had unlawfully removed many workers appointed on the special son quota.
He alleged massive corruption in various NTC projects.
“Rs39 million has been embezzled from the coastal fiber project funds,” he said, adding that the administration has promoted many NTC officials facing inquiries and posted them to the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor-related projects.
Mr. Moeen said the NTC had resumed work on a new survey of the coastal fibre project at the cost of Rs10 billion, which would cost the national exchequer dearly.
He alleged that corruption was rife at the NTC with the officials receiving billions of rupees worth of kickbacks in various projects.
The union leader said the cost of the MSAG project had increased from Rs390 million to Rs950 million due to corruption.
He insisted that the NTC was fast losing subscribers due to poor services in the country.
Mr. Moeen demanded that the federal government, especially IT minister Anusha Rehman, intervene and ensure the immediate end to the NTC administration’s anti-worker policies.
He warned the union would give a countrywide call for agitation if the demand wasn’t met.
Published by Daily Dawn on Jan 20, 2017
