In a true reminder of the colonial times, the bureaucrat-led board of the Lahore Gymkhana management showed ‘callousness’ towards the lower staff, which observed a strike in the prestigious club for many hours on Friday, Pakistan Today has learnt.
Sources privy to the development revealed that gardeners who have been on the gymkhana payroll for more than 20 years have been asked to leave by the top management.
The gardeners in question have worked in the golf course and have complained of delays in the payment of their salaries as well as the discontinuation of the provision of free meals, uniforms and shoes.
A staff member said on the condition of anonymity that the new management of the club has been creating problems for the staff and accused Gymkhana Chairman Ziaur Rehman of adopting a callous attitude.
Former federal secretary Ziaur Rehman was elected as the chairman of the club after a panel led by bureaucrats won a majority of the seats during the club’s elections held recently.
Rehman was the first bureaucrat to be elected after a gap of many years, as previously businessmen used to win the coveted seat.
The bureaucrats, while campaigning for the elections, had vowed to bring the club to its ‘past glory’.
A member of the managing committee said the panel of businessmen had handed over the affairs of the club entirely to the new chairman and his team because as they ‘wanted to revive the gymkhana’s glory and did not want to create a hurdle’.
“Major (r) Javaid Nasrullah is the convener of the Golf Committee and has taken these steps after which the staff went on strike,” he added.
A meeting was also held between the staff and members of the managing committee.
A staff member said the meeting is being held to placate the workers who had announced to continue to observe the strike today (Saturday).
Ziaur Rehman, however, dismissed the issue, saying the staff members had not gone on a strike.
“There is no strike tomorrow. I just had a detailed meeting with the staff who said they had no issue and apologised for any problems they had caused,” Rehman told Pakistan Today.
In response to a question, he said: “You can publish whatever you want to, but there is no issue at all.”
Major Nasrullah could not be reached for comment despite repeated efforts.
No pay, no play!
