ISLAMABAD – Islamabad Police on Wednesday arrested around 60 employees of Oil and Gas Development Company Limited (OGDCL) after they occupied their managing director’s office while protesting against non-payment of their salaries. Over 200 employees, who were reinstated under a presidential ordinance, occupied the office for more than two hours, demanding payment of dues denied to them for the past many months and one-step promotion as promised by the management.
They refused to leave the MD’s office till acceptance of their demands after which the management called police who arrested around 60 protesters and shifted them to Kohsar Police Station. Iftikhar Ahmad, a member of OGDCL employees union, said the management was resorting to delaying tactics. “Whenever we raise our voice, the management comes out with threats to terminate us. We want justice and will continue protest till our demands are accepted,” he said.
OGDCL spokesman Basharat Mirza while talking to media said the protesters were trainees, adding that the management was paying monthly stipends to the 300 trainees while ad hoc payments would be made after approval of the board. He said strict action would be taken against protesters for their unlawful action.
