Pakistan: Railway Workers Fight Back Privatisation Plan

Last week hundreds of workers in Lahore, Pakistan demonstrated against the government’s attempts to privatize railways in the country. The protesting workers say the privatization of the railways would be disastrous for both workers and the millions of commuters in the country who rely on the railways for an affordable means of travel.

Hundreds of protesters, on Wednesday, February 19, led by elected unions Railway Workers Union Workshop (RWUW) and Railway Workers Union Open Line (RWUOL) marched from the workshop to the railway headquarters located in the city in large numbers waving red flags and shouting slogans against the government’s attempts to privatize the sector. They converted the protest march into a large sit-in in front of the headquarters which lasted for several hours. They called for workers’ unity to push for their charter of demands.

The sit-in was addressed by several leaders including Mian Khalid, President of the RWUW, Anwar Gujjar, President of RWUOL, and Rubina Jamil, General Secretary of All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF).   

All Pakistan Trade Union Federation (APTUF) is one of the largest trade union federations in Pakistan and most of the railway workers’ unions are affiliated with it.

Workers presented their charter of demands in a press release. Their major demands include:

• The timely disbursal of salaries
• Pensions and gratuity to all present and formal railway employees
• Payment of all pending salaries
• Guaranteed minimum wages of Rs 37,000 
• The complete rejection of all attempts at privatization

Workers also opposed the present government’s policy of importing railway bogies from outside the country instead of investing in the domestic production units. They claimed that instead of relying on imports, the government should provide Pakistani workers with raw material, technological support and decent working conditions to boost domestic production as well as employment opportunities.

Railways continue to face government neglect

Railways are one of the main sources of transportation in Pakistan and one of the largest public sector employers in the country with nearly 70,000 employees. Its workers have complained about the government’s neglect for a long time and more recently faced threats of privatization.

Workers in the sector have experienced repeated issues with the timely disbursal of their salaries. The current government has even failed to appoint a minister of railways which has been a norm throughout its history.

In the last few years, successive governments have started introducing privatization in the country’s public sectors including the railways in the name of efficiency and cutting losses. Speakers in Wednesday’s sit-in, however, claimed that this phased privatization was happening under the IMF and World Bank pressure.

The press release issued by the agitating workers warned the government that if it failed to address their demands in a timely manner and halt the privatization process a much bigger and united struggle will be launched including all the stakeholders.

Addressing the sit-in on Wednesday, Rubina Jamil questioned the government’s failure to even provide the minimum wages to the railway workers while management receives hefty salaries. She underlined that the government has long failed to heed the plight of the railways and railways’ workers and warned that if they continue to do so they should be ready to face bigger protests in the future irrespective of the legal restrictions imposed on the workers’ movement. 

Successive governments in Pakistan have repeatedly denied workers permissions for protests and strikes, citing “law and order.” They have even threatened the leadership with legal action. The APTUF maintains that such restrictions are violations of workers’ rights to collective bargaining.

Talking to Peoples Dispatch Jamil claimed that privatization in railways will increase both unemployment and price increases in the country. She wondered how the same government which claims to reduce prices and generate employment is also talking about privatization. She cautioned that the government must take back all attempts to bring privatization in railways otherwise workers will stage even bigger protests in the coming days.