PTCL employees on strike!!

Pakistan Telecom Company Limited (PTCL) employees have been on strike since the last month as their demand for a salary rise has not been met. Its one of the biggest news these days as the recent floods have damaged the communications network in Khyber Pakhtoonwala province and because of this telephone lines have submerged in water and infrastructure have been affected badly. This has resulted in a breakdown in of services in some areas such as Makland, Swat etc.

 Although the Prime Minister announced a 50% increase in the salary of the government employees but the management of PTCL refuses to give the increase in salary due to which there is a countrywide strike of the employees of this organization. The employees are not even willing to carry out any repair works till they get their salary increase. So the cable faults remain unrepaired leading to a switch over by business men, industrialists to wireless, mobile services and other modes as they cannot afford to lose their buyers. This switch over is leading to a great revenue loss for PTCL. People are now using other internet services in order to stay n touch with their local and foreign buyers.

On the other hand the PTCL management says that the strike is illegal because it has already raised the salaries of the employees by 50% in addition to many other incentives that have been offered. They believe that the employees are staging protests for their own vested interests and ignoring the larger interest of all employees.

PTCL remains one of the few profit making institutions in the country and the strikes are badly affecting its services to customers. I myself use PTCL internet connection because I had heard that its one of the best company but now I am facing connection problems as well forcing me to change my connection. Customers are looking towards private mobile phone companies to remain in touch with the outside world. PTCL hence should solve this problem as soon as possible otherwise the whole company would go down the drain completely.