LAHORE: The Pak Electron Limited (PEL)’s over 250 retrenched employees continued staging protest demonstration for their restoration of jobs and withdrawal of ‘fake cases’ against them.
A large number of retrenched employees on Friday held protest demonstration at the Lahore Press Club (LPC) for their restoration and withdrawal of ‘illegal and fabricated’ FIRs under Anti-Terrorism Act. They raised slogans against the PEL administration for retrenching them and implicating them in the fake FIRs.
They said that they have been serving the company for years and the company has not only retrenched them illegally but also involved them in ‘fake FIRs’ by giving the police huge sum of money.
One Salimi, President of the PEL pocket union is also siding with the company instead of the workers, they said, adding that he has been the president of the union for the last 35 years by maneuvering things.
“I have five kids and have been serving the company for the last 19 years but the company within no time has removed me from my job. I will commit suicide if the management does not reinstate me to my job,” one employee of the company said.
The PEL Workers Action Committee leadership including Shafarsh Ali, Falick Sher, Muthida Labour Federation’s Chaudhary Muhammad Yaqoob, Nazeer Shahzad , Muhammad Akbar , Hanif Ramy Ch Muhammad Ashraf, Altaf Bloch and Pakistan Mazdoor Mahaz (PMM) and others were present at the protest .
They demanded of the government to take notice of the PEL administration for illegally removing the workers from their jobs and implication them in fabricated cases.
They said that if they are not reinststed to their jobs and fake FIRs are not withdrawn against them, they will have no other option except to move their families to hold protest with them in front of Punjab Assembly and the Governor’s House .
They urged the PM Imran Khan to take notice of the illegal retrenchment and implication of the poor workers in fake FIRs.
PEL Chief Executive Officer M. Murad Saigol was contacted for his version but he could not be reached. Earlier, this scribe also contacted Chairman/Non-Executive M Naseem Saigol but he declined to comment telling this scribe don’t ever call again.
Earlier on July 4, Pak Electron Limited (PEL) retrenched employees also staged a protest demonstration against the administration of company and ‘pocket union’ Unit-II near Sua-e-Asal for implicating them in the fake FIRs and depriving over 250 employees of their jobs despite that fact that they have been serving the company for many years.