HBL workers demand job security and facilities

Habib Bank employees have demanded the protection of their rights under the Wage Commission Award to remain in employment till the age of 60 years, a press statement said on Friday. The Habib Bank Workers Front, in its emergency meeting on Thursday, discussed problems being faced by the employees of the HBL and resolved to fight for their rights to be in the employment of the bank till the age of 60 years, the statement said. Through one of the several resolutions the HBWF resolved to counter all whispering and harassment campaign against the workers of the bank.
It is being widely spread through these campaigns that the bank management would either introduce a staff reduction scheme or would offer compensations to willing employees ready to accept premature retirement or removal on the grounds of inefficiency would be undertaken.
The HBWF took notice of the reduction in medical facilities and in retirement benefits of the executive and officers' cadre and demanded restoration on humanitarian grounds of facilities that were available to them earlier.
The meeting also condemned the appointment of security staff from private security agencies in the presence of permanently employed chawkidars and peons, and termed this arrangement as anti-worker attitude.
While addressing the workers, Patron in chief of the HBWF and senior labour leader Habibuddin Junaidee said that the Front was an ideological and progressive union and would go beyond its limits to serve labours, workers and the oppressed people.
He said that the employees of the HBL were in the clutches of pocket unions for the last 14 years, which had left them in the lurch.
He said that the role pocket unions had been playing would never be forgotten. They had damaged interest of the workers and paved way for the exploiters.
He said that downsizing and ruthless reduction in the banking sector could become possible only after the pocket unions bargained on the interest of the low paid employees.
"We have to be careful with these kinds of unions and continue our struggle against the oppressive tactics often employer use to chase their workers out of jobs," he emphasised.
Divisional President of the HBWF Fazal Karim Orakzai presided over the meeting. Habibuddin Junaidee participated in the meeting as special guest.
Those spoke on the occasion included Haji Mohammed Yakoob, Syedda Nadra Parveen, Nasiruddin Mahmood, Mohammed Ashraf Baloch, Abdul Hafeez Arain, Zulfiqar Ahmed, Usman Sheikh and Shahid Sultan.