Habib Bank Employees Federation of Pakistan has vehemently condemned the retrenchment of around 2300 bank employees at a time when poverty and unemployment has reached at alarming proportions in the country and staged a demonstration against this decision.
The demo was led Rab-Nawaz Lashari President of HBL Employees Union (CBA), Syed Kaswar Razi, Jalil Baloch, Manzoor Khan and Haji Muhammad Ayyub. Later a protest meeting was held which attended by a large number of workers.
The Trade Union Leaders severely criticised retrenchment of around 2300 bank employees describing it an economic massacre of the employees while the government had assured that no one would be removed from service after privatisation of the Bank.
They said that on one hand Habib Bank Ltd has hired employees on high posts on lacs of rupees per month salary and perks; on the other the bank management has terminated the services of those who were earning only Rs 5000 to 6000 per month.
They alleged that during regime of General Pervaiz Musharraf, 90 percent people were those who were hit by hunger, poverty, unemployment and forced dismissal. She termed it as gift of the present government.
The Union leaders believed that the rising trend of suicides in the country has created panic in every-walk of life due to unemployment. They opined that the people were suffering due to alleged wrong economic policies of the rulers.
The PPP legislators Begum Nasim Chaudhry, Malik Liaquat Dogar, and PML-N MNA Rana Mehmood-ul-Hassan have urged that human rights organisations to take serious notice against 'anti-people and labour policies' of the present regime.
They demanded from Habib Bank administration to avoid 'anti-labour policies' otherwise her party would raise voice in the legislature and launch movement against such anti people policies.