Over 400 regular tourism employees being fired from Jan 31

RAWALPINDI: The government has finalised its plan to fire more than 400 regular employees of the Pakistan Tourism Development Corporation (PTDC) through a Golden Handshake Scheme.

According to credible sources and employees as well as highly-placed officials, the plan to end services of PTDC workers would be implemented from January 31, 2020 and all homework in this regard has been completed. List of employees/ officials to be sacked has also been finalised and forwarded to the management/ high-ups of the PTDC.

The plan of sacking the services has created lot of tension, anxiety and unrest among all the PTDC employees, which also include officials.

On the other hand, the representatives of PTDC Employees Union the other day managed to obtain stay from the National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC) against the government decision which includes sacking services of PTDC regular employees. President of Employees Union, Majid Yaqoob told this correspondent that the NIRC has stayed the decision of the government in favour of the PTDC employees and officials who are working as regular staff for the last more than 20 years.

Majid Yaqoob along with other union representatives said that earlier the government had planned to sack 137 employees while accommodating other staff in different sections of Punjab Tourism Department. According to the new plan, the services of over 400 regular employees are being sacked. He said the affected employees associated with PTDC for more than 20 years would get nothing in return except for being paid only three basic salaries as additional amount along with the Provident Fund and Gratuity dues.

The government whilecoming into power had promised to provide jobs to the unemployed but instead of it now it is terminating services of PTDC employees which is equal to creating joblessness which is undue decision, the union president remarked.

When this correspondent approached official spokesman, Mukhtar Ahmed, Media Head PTDC, for his comments he refused to give any version on the issue. Managing Director, Syed Intikhab Alam is the right person to comment over the issue, he said.

Syed Intikhab Alam, while commenting over the matter, agreed that the decision has been finalised and the services of over 300 or more employees would be sacked under Golden Handshake Scheme. The affected employees would be paid three additional salaries during ending their services. Now the Union representatives have managed to obtain stay against the decision. We would now present our point of view to NIRC including reason to enforce the decision.

Elaborating, the managing director said that before plan to enforce the decision we have deliberated comprehensively in the cabinet meeting. The government is committed to restructure and revamp tourism sector. In accordance with the restructuring plan of tourism sector, decision to sacking PTDC regular employees has been taken. It is the right of employees and officials to resist over the decision but the decision is being enforced in best interest of tourism which include its restructuring, he said.