Military regime launches attack on Postal Workers in Pakistan! 17,000 jobs in danger! Trade union activists victimised!

The Military regime in Pakistan has completely banned trade union activities in the Postal Sector. All union offices have been closed down. The collection of union funds has been declared illegal. No union can organise any meeting. If any worker dares to participate in any union activity, he can be sacked without any notice or explanation. The Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign is organising a fightback. They need your support. For details of what you can do to help read this article now!

Urgent Appeal for support and solidarity!

The present Military regime is viciously implementing the IMF and World Bank policies. Massive downsizing, retrenchment, privatisation, bans on trade unions and anti-worker laws are being imposed. The Military regime has completely banned trade union activities in the Postal Sector. The authorities have banned four trade unions that organise postal workers. These unions represent 36,000 workers in the postal services. All union offices have been closed down. The collection of union funds has been declared illegal. No union can organise any meeting. If any worker dares to participate in any union activity, he can be sacked without any notice or explanation. The Military regime has appointed an army general as head of the postal administration. This general is openly threatening the trade union leaders and workers. Seventeen central and regional leaders have been sacked. The military regime wants to sack 4,300 workers in a first phase and later on they will sack nearly 14,000 more in the second phase. 2,200 post offices have been shut down in the country. To begin with they want to sack all the activists and especially the militant section of the workers. They have announced that they will privatise the postal services before December 2002.

The main trade union leadership has surrendered in the face of these attacks from regime. The leadership wants to compromise. The PTUDC (Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign) has organised three protest rallies in Lahore. We are organising isolated workers into one joint platform for struggle. The provincial organiser of the PTUDC [Baluchistan] and the provincial president of the largest union in the Postal sector, National Organisation of Postal Employees (NOPE), Comrade Nazar Mengal has put up a great resistance. He has lead the postal workers in defiance against the attacks of the military regime. They are still occupying the union office in Khuzdar, the second largest city in Baluchistan. This is the only office, which has remained in the workers' possession since the imposition of the regime's orders. They are still fighting for workers' rights against all odds and against state repression. They are under enormous pressure from the military and police. The postal authorities are threatening them and demanding that they should obey and surrender otherwise they have to face dire consequences. They can be arrested and can even be sacked. We are preparing for a national meeting of the Postal workers in Lahore in the first week of September. We have also printed posters, leaflets and given press statements against these vicious attacks by the dictatorial regime.

To organise a fightback and resistance we need international support and solidarity from workers around the world. We need resources to continue the struggle, organise the national convention of postal employees and to print more posters and leaflets, and organise demonstrations and protest rallies.

Send protest resolutions to:

- Chief Executive, General Musharraf, of Pakistan: ce@pak.gov.pk (This e-mail address can be used to send protests directly by e-mail to the government of Pakistan).
- The Ministry of Communications, Islamabad, Pakistan.
- The Post Master General, Quetta, Baluchistan, Pakistan.
- Pakistan Embassy in your country.

Send messages of support and solidarity to:
Nazar Mengal,
Provincial President, NOPE, Baluchistan,
General Post Office [G.P.O.],
Khuzdar, Baluchistan,
Pakistan.
(Phone: + 92 871 413393)

Send Copies to,
Khalid Bhatti,
National Organiser,
PTUDC,
105, Mangal Mansion, Royal Park,
Lakshami Chowk,
Lahore,
Pakistan.
(phone/fax: + 92 42 6316214.)

Donations to the Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign can be made at:
http://www.marxist.com/wellred/ptudc.asp

Payments can also be made by cheque, payable to the
Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign,
PO Box 6977,
London, N1 3JN,

From outside Britain (if you do not have a credit card) payments can be made to:
Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign,
directly to their bank account at the Abbey National Plc., 21 Prescott Street, London, E1 8AD, England
Reference Number: K3414742PAK
Account Number: 0000 0000 (that is four zeros)
Sort code: 09 00 20
Using whichever Swift Code your local bank uses.