As a result of the great struggle and pressure of PTCL workers, a referendum is being conducted. The management wants to use this referendum to ensnare and divide the workers, but the workers have to use this democratic process to organize and unite in the struggle for their rights. If the privatization of PTCL (Pakistan Telecommunication Company Limited) is retracted then workers from all over the country will follow their footsteps and end privatizations in their own institutions. We publish here a leaflet by the PTUDC which was distributed throughout Pakistan.

Red Salute to the workers of PTCL,

As a result of the great struggle of PTCL workers, a referendum is being conducted once again. This is a big opportunity and if we adopt a correct methodology and elect a right leadership, there could be great advances in achieving our demands and solving our problems. This referendum is taking place at a time when the rulers have launched the most vicious attacks against the workers. The menaces of the Price hike, unemployment and terrorism have become the normal routine for working class.

In this situation the PTCL management is also attacking the workers in a barbaric way. But the recent history of PTCL is full of revolutionary traditions. We started a struggle against the privatization of our institution on 25^th May 2005 in PTCL Headquarters with courage and a revolutionary spirit and due to our consistency and solidarity we were about to win that struggle when the treasonous and purchasable trade union leaders sold this victory to the rulers in return for their vested interests. This was neither the first privatization in Pakistan nor the first betrayal of the working class but the resistance and valour displayed by the PTCL workers during that movement is a glorious milestone in Pakistan’s labour movement. Everyone knows about the pain and suffering which is being faced by PTCL workers after the privatization. 35,000 workers are sacked under VSS scheme and the rest are subjected to brutal exploitation with the help of the management’s oppression. Now there is no job security for any worker in PTCL. Transfers to remote areas and cuts in salaries, Eid award and other benefits are happening continuously. The employees’ son quota is abolished and in case of death during job, the family of the employee is left high and dry. TA/DA is completely revoked and PTCL workers are forced to work in remote and vast areas on their meagre salaries. Departmental loans have been abolished. In a perverse attempt to divide the workers and to break their solidarity the workers are being divided into operations, switching and power plant sectors which has resulted in decreased efficiency instead of improving it. Overtime is abolished, in short, all the benefits and facilities that were won by the workers by their power and solidarity during the journey from T&T to PTCL have been taken away one by one.

After the privatization the new Etsilat management has taken this exploitation and oppression against the workers to extremes which shows that the PTCL management is still afraid of the revolutionary character of the workers. This attitude towards the workers is flaming the anger amongst the workers which can explode anytime and result in a big movement. PTCL management and the NIRC have agreed to hold a referendum on 27^th January 2010 under the pressure from this anger and ferment amongst the workers. The management wants to use this referendum to ensnare and divide the workers but we have to use this democratic process to organize and unite the workers in the struggle for their rights. Unfortunately the retraction of privatization and nationalization of the institution under the complete and democratic control of the workers are not on the agenda of any union in this referendum. Today the reason for most of the problems of the PTCL workers is the control of a private company. If we can end this control, not only many of the worker’s problems will be solved but it will also create many new employment opportunities. If we keep this demand on the top of the list at every platform then this seemingly impossible task can be accomplished. If the privatization of PTCL is retracted then workers from all over the country will follow our footsteps and end privatizations in their own institutions and this will also lead to the death of the new cunning anti-worker policy of Public Private Partnership.

Brothers, our real enemy is this capitalist system and our salvation and survival are linked with its termination and this system can only end through a socialist revolution. We the workers run this system and this handful of capitalists suck our blood to fill their pockets, this institution belongs to us and we will take it from the management.

Dear workers, if we want to defend this institution and our jobs, we will have to show that courage and solidarity that we showed on 25^th May 2005 in PTCL head quarter when the workers forced all the leaders into one action committee. Today it is upon us to start a movement from PTCL which will light the way for all the workers of Pakistan and become the first shots of a revolution which will lay the foundation of abolishing the exploitive capitalist system once and for all.

Demands and Program

1. Abolishing of PTCL privatization and its nationalization under the democratic control of PTCL workers.
2. Establishment of action committees on grass root level comprising of workers from all unions.
3. Immediate restoration of 35,000 workers sacked under the so called “VSS” scheme.
4. Restoration of Employees’ son quota and provision of full benefits in case of death during job.
5. Restoration of TA/DA and overtime allowance.
6. Regularization of all NCPG and daily wages workers giving them BPS scale.
7. Restoration of departmental loans.
8. Restoration of Eid award to the value before privatization.
9. Restoration of all benefits abolished after the privatization.
10. Forced labour from PTCL workers to be abolished.
11. Increase in salaries according to prices and salaries to be linked with the rate of inflation.
12. Minimum wage to be equivalent of the price of 12 grams of gold.
13. Working hours to be reduced to 35 hours per week.
14. All workers to be given all facilities including health, education, residence, transport, electricity and gas absolutely free indiscriminately.
15. Advancing the struggle against privatization and capitalism and for a socialist revolution along with the workers from other institutions.

Source: Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign (PTUDC)