All Pakistan Federation of United Trade Unions (APFUTU) Secretary General Zia Syed speaking to rally that government as per habit once again backed out of its promises regarding increasing salaries of public servants. He said last time we went back on a government request and it promised to increase salaries but in vain.He said we will keep continuing our protest with allies organisations for local and Provisional government employees including defending trade union rights in all provinces as well as federal level. Government is continuously cheating us but now we will never spare them, he warned. He said the government is trying to harass dozens of employees but they will keep protesting peacefully. He said the government should take their demands seriously and warned that if it tried to use force against the protesters, they will lock down all streets and areas of the country. The interior ministry feared that the PDM – an alliance of 11 opposition parties, may hijack the employees’ protest, an official correspondence between the interior minister and the Prime Minister’s Office showed.
The employees of the state-owned enterprises, pensioners and labour unions have announced to stage an indefinite sit-in in all provisional secretariat. Interior Minister Sh Rashid had recommended that the finance minister may immediately meet the government employees ’ leadership and announce some way forward. However, the finance ministry did not agree to the proposal of immediately announcing the monetary benefits to thwart the protesters, according to the sources. Trade unions are also demanding to stop busting trade unions in the country.
