400 Pakistan Telecom workers arrested by police for opposing privatisation

international | worker & community struggles and protests | press release Tuesday June 14, 2005 14:51 by Paul - Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan

In a brutal escalation of repression, the Pakistani government ordered widescale arrests of telecommunication workers fighting to defeat privatisation. Police raided homes and arrested family members when they could not find telecommunication workers they were looking for. This is similar tactics to that used by the US army who take relatives as hostages when they raid homes in Iraq.

In a brutal escalation of repression, the Pakistani government ordered widescale arrests of telecommunication workers fighting to defeat privatisation. Police raided homes and arrested family members when they could not find telecommunication workers they were looking for. This is similar tactics to that used by the US army who take relatives as hostages when they raid homes in Iraq.
The government has also unilaterally announced the privatisation of Pakistan Telecommunication Company Ltd (PTCL) to begin on 18 June. This completely breaks an agreement signed on Friday 4 June following a ten day strike of the telecommunication workers in which the government agreed to the indefinite postponement of the privatisation process.
The government has effectively implemented a lock out of the workforce by refusing to allow workers from grades 1 – 16 in the industry to enter telecommunications depots. In all the main depots paramilitary police and soldiers from the army have been deployed.
The unions leadership have said that they will jam the telecommunications system from June 15 unless all workers are released and privatisation plans are dropped.
The National Industrial Relations Committee has temporarily banned all trade unions from operating within the PTCL. As well as this all demonstrations and protests are now banned within 200m of telecommunications depots.
Trade Unionists from the joint Action Committee of nine telecoms unions have issued a call for letters of protest to be sent to the following addresses: Awais Leghari, Minister Telecom and Information Technology, minister@moitt.gov.pk and to turcpakistan@yahoo.com making the following demands:
Release all telecommunications workers and trade unionists leaders taken into custody. Stop the crackdown now. No more arrests
For the immediate withdrawal of all paramilitary and police forces from in and around PTCL premises
Honour the 4 June agreement – No to the privatisation of PTCL
Full support to PTCL workers fighting privatisation

Press release ends
For further information please contact Kevin Simpson on 07904 973820 or Ken Smith on 07840 168071 or 020 8988 8778

Notes to editors:
- The Trade Union Rights Campaign Pakistan is an organisation set up recently to publicise the conditions of workers and Trade Unions in Pakistan internationally.
- Interviews with telecommunications trade union leaders can be arranged.