Simon Hardy
On a small roundabout in the middle of Lahore, a group of workers sits on a rug. They and others have been there for over two months, keeping a constant protest outside the Punjabi government building. They are the sacked University Health Sciences workers whose sacking has created such outrage across the city.
The UHS workers perform clerical work, office assistantships, manual labor, porters, etc. In March several workers at UHS organized a protest for better conditions. They were long-term workers, some with almost 8 years experience but with very precarious contracts. When the Punjab government announced that workers should be regularized, they thought this was an opportunity for them also to get a better and more secure contract. Management replied by sacking 150 workers, including the organizers of the protest. Now they have been on strike for 70 days, but management is refusing to budge. There is a permanent protest camp outside the Punjabi assembly where the regional government sits.
They have held many demonstrations, sometimes around 300 people coming together in support. They have held many high profile media stunts, including placing black hoods over their heads with the word “contract” written on them and performing mock hangings. They are in a bad situation. With no pay for over 2 months now, it is getting desperate.
The workers involved are angry at what has happened. Naveed, one of the protest leaders, said “we are protesting for the last 70 days, but no political party has come to us to offer support. We feel that we are not part of society and we did not get pay for the last 3 months. Our children are without food. We have nothing left but to fight or commit suicide.”
Ch. Munair said “we are living in very bad condition. The Punjab and federal government is playing with us. We are protesting for the last 70 days in these dangerous times yet only one trade union has come to help us. We need more support from Pakistani trade unions and internationally to win our strike.”
Please fax letters of complaint demanding their reinstatement to Vice Chancellor / Professor Hussain Mubashar Malik (00924299231310) and the Director Admin (00924299230870)