PTI govt slammed for 'not taking any step' to revive Pakistan Steel Mills.

Byline: Shazia Hasan

KARACHI -- Workers and labour leaders called a press conference at the Karachi Press Club on Thursday to explain to the media the circumstances that led to the Pakistan Steel Mills' (PSM) current state where labour laws had 'completely been violated' to dismiss its 9,350 workers.

They reminded that the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf came to power with a promise to turn the PSM into a profitable entity but over the past 22 months it had 'not [made] a single serious attempt' to run the mills.

It was also the 'incompetence' of this government that it did not appoint a CEO for the Steel Mills during this time. Neither did it appoint a director of finance which proved that they were determined to destroy this most important institution, they claimed.

Valuable scrap being stolen

Nasir Mansoor of the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) pointed out that the government had set up a board of directors for the Steel Mills, but not a single member of it was related to the steel industry or had any technical ability for that matter. 'The chairman of the PSM is a man who happens to be an American citizen. There are even today more than 16 billion finished slabs in PSM stores along with very valuable scrap, which is being stolen day by day,' he claimed.

He further said that the government had violated prevailing labour laws by unilaterally announcing the dismissal of 9,350 workers without due process. 'The ministry of industry, under pressure, forced the 'rubber stamp' Board of Directors to decide the dismissal of the workers. There was no notice issued to the workers in this regard. Neither was any reply sought from them. It is illegal under labour laws to close a company without declaring it bankrupt,' he said.

'It is illegal under labour laws to close a company without declaring it bankrupt'

Steel import 'mafia'

Mr Mansoor added that, unfortunately, like the previous governments, the PTI government had also bowed to the steel import mafia and the 'Steel Mills Consortium' that once tried to buy the mills for pennies. 'That mafia has once again become active with the support of some influential cabinet ministers and advisers, who want to take over the Steel Mills,' he said.

Akbar Narejo, convener Pakistan Steel Trade Union Alliance, disclosed that Abdul Jabbar Memon, chairman of the Steel Mills wrote a letter to the federal government on March 18, 2019 with the approval of the board of directors, to request the appointment of a CEO and...