Peoples Labour Bureau, All Pakistan Bank Workers Federation and other trade unions have condemned the forced dismissal from jobs of about 1,850 employees of the Zarai Taraqqiati Bank Limited (ZTBL), both from clerical and non-clerical cadres.
They have demanded of the government to look into the matter, as they believe if the employees were not reinstated without delay they could commit suicide. PLB Divisional President, Malik Bashir Ahmed urged rulers that the affected employees could go to the extreme level and would not hesitate to commit suicide before the Supreme Court to register their protest over their forced dismissal.
He said these employees were dismissed forcefully by a notification published in newspapers against the stay order that they held from the court. He appealed to the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu action against ZTBL president over such exploitation of the employees.
All the trade unions have expressed solidarity with the workers of ZTBL and demanded immediate removal of ZTBL President Rasheed Akhtar Chughtai, who is involved in corruption by appointing consultants on heavy salaries ranging from Rs 70,000 to Rs 0.4 million per month. They said the ZTBL president had abolished the slots of clerical and non-clerical staff in the bank by terminating over 18,000 employees. They said as many as 70 consultants were still working in the ZTBL and cherishing heavy perks and privileges without giving any result.