PC Workers Protest Rally – The Underlying Issues

A large group activist gathered together in front of the Pearl Continental Hotel to show solidarity with the protesting workers who have been holed up in the PC basement for the past 23 days. Having supported this cause on mere humanitarian issue I feel there are two sides to every argument, but interestingly this protest has far more deeper implications then what meets the eye.

The issue I feel is being complicated well beyond by a greater possibility of an underlying game of national politics. It is quite possible that the union activities are being irked by the PPP-led government trying to exert pressure on the Hashwani group to accede to their demands [I could go to the extent of speculating that this is probably a part of some serious Presidential level blackmailing tactic against the Hashwani group]. In the midst of this protest labor unions are having a field day leveraging their own positions and pushing the protesters to brace for a long fight.

While the 150 or so protesters holed up in the basement are taking the brunt of the struggle, they serve a full shift in the hotel and return back to the basement it interesting that this group is not / will not go into a total shut down strike which could bring the hotel into a standstill, while talking to a few people they felt that such disastrous actions will spur the police to raid the basement and throw everyone out.

Hashwanis on one hand are the rich and famous of Pakistan, have minted millions from the string of hotel chains across Pakistan but presently a declining tourism industry combined with a few hotel bombings namely Islamabad Marriot and PC Peshawar might actually felt the compulsion to downsize, starting off with a few layoffs, PC being a private entity has the right to make this business decision but with legalization of unions they are compelled to follow some degree of labor union laws, which sadly most business owners ignore.

Despite so many intricate complications as perceived by me, I continue to support the PC Worker Protest on a simply humanitarian basis and also urge you to sign their petition, how could the Hashwanis ignore the demands of 150 workers for 23 days and counting, I stand up against this elitism that has prevailed in Pakistan might is right in the military perspective and rich is right in a civilian context where the rich and famous tend to get away being above the law.

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