LAHORE – The Pakistan Railways Workers’ Union (PRWU) has scheduled a protest for today against downsizing. PRWU General Secretary Zafar Ijaz Malik told Pakistan Today that their protest will take place at about 11:30 am at the main Railway Station, but another protest by a different union will also be held at the Lahore Press Club later in the afternoon.
“Gradually the problems have led to the workers’ unions rising,” said Malik. He said the protests will be held all over Pakistan, with employees marching to their respective press clubs. Pakistan Railway Advisory and Consultancy Services (PRACS), being a subsidiary of Pakistan Railways, is supposed to provide consultancy and advisory services for the planning, design and management of projects in all disciplines of railways.
But the union says that the organisation is not of any use anymore. “The PR has trained staff, why use so many officers in the name of PRACS?” he questions. “Railcop is the same. It was originally created to send Pakistani labour abroad where railways needed extra labour, but now this is not being done,” he said.
He also pointed out that the Railways Police had begun to interfere in administrative issues. “I have had problems like a man who mistakenly bought a ticket from a policeman instead of the ticket collector and the ticket was not only fake, it also did not mention the cites from where the passenger had to travel.”
PR union workers to protest today
