PAKISTAN: Arrest of 317 telecom workers following government’s crackdown on workers on strike 

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has been informed that 317 workers of the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL), opposed to the government’s decision to privatize the company, have been arrested and detained on mass. The police and military forces have also raided the houses of labor union leaders and arrested their relatives, despite having no involvement in the labor dispute.

The workers went on strike after the Privatization Commission proceeded with its plan to privatize the company, which includes the selling of stocks and change of management. This is despite an existing agreement to have the plan deferred indefinitely. The government did not honor the agreement and did not properly take up the worker’s grievances as part of the privatization. The government also deployed a Signal Corps, a section of the military, who have now taken control of 52 telephone exchanges.

It was reported that the workers, who desperately resorted to destroying the company’s fibre optic cable in Mastung, Quetta in an effort to pressure the government to reconsider its implementation and to listen to their demands, were instead warned of possible charges under anti-terrorism if they “tried to incite violence”. According to the latest updates, while these workers are still detained, the Pakistan government has sold 26% of its biggest phone company to Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates for $ 2.56 Bn (£ 1.4bn) on June 20.

We urge your immediate action in this serious case by asking the office of the Privatisation Commission of Pakistan to honor the agreement. It must properly resolve and address the worker’s legitimate demands regarding employment security as part of their being against the privatization. The workers, labor leaders and their relatives now held in detention must be released immediately. They must not be prevented from resuming their work, or participating in decisions between the management and the employees union.

Further, please also ask for an independent and impartial inquiry into the actions taken by the police and military following their raid on worker’s houses and arrest of labor leader’s relatives. The mass arrest and detention of the workers and preventing them from enter the company’s premises to perform their duties must also be investigated. Immediate sanctions, restrictions and the filing of charges must be imposed on the management if they are found to violate the worker’s rights and abused their authority.

Urgent Appeals Desk
Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC)
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DETAILED INFORMATION:

Number of persons arrested: 317 persons composed of workers, labor union leaders and some relatives of labor leaders
Name of the company: Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL)
Date and places of incidents: 11 June 2005 to present in the areas of Quetta, Balochistan; Mastung, Quetta
Status of the case: the workers and labor leaders, who went on strike after the government decided to proceed with the privatization process of the company have been arrested and detained by the police

About 317 workers and labor union leaders on strike from the Pakistan Telecommunications Company Ltd (PTCL) were separately arrested and held in detention by police and military forces beginning early this June. This incident took place after the government initiated a crackdown on workers’ on strike. The government’s paramilitary police forces raided the houses of union leaders and arrested their relatives even though they are involved in the labor dispute. A house of an employee, who had just died, was also raided and a son of the deceased was arrested.

The government’s action came after it announced that it would proceed with the company’s privatization process on 18 June 2005. It deployed a Signal Corps, a section of the military, who took over in the running of 52 telephone exchanges. Such an act completely disregars the agreement the government signed to defer the privatization indefinitely, which earlier resulted to the suspension of strike on June 4. The workers have refused to accept improvements in pay and conditions, which the management offered. The workers staunchly oppose the privatization.

The union leaders have been asking the government to release workers and labor leaders now in detention and to withdraw their privatization bid. Another union leader has resorted to warning the interested companies not to participate in the bidding process.

It was also reported that in Quetta, Balochistan, telecommunication workers have destroyed the fibre optic linking Quetta with other parts of the country, which is the source of much of the system in the provinces.

However, it was reported that the management of PTCL has announced that a Rs 5 billion package including 10 percent of shares of the 26 percent of the company is to be provided to its employees. Job security has also been ensured with the new administration stating that it will not terminate any employee within the first two years and if an employee want retire, he would be allowed 140 days’ compensation.

According to the latest updates, while these workers are still detained, the Pakistan government has sold 26% of its biggest phone company to Etisalat of the United Arab Emirates for $ 2.56 Bn (£ 1.4bn) on June 20.

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