Jailed hotel workers released

From asianfoodworker.net bulletins

Eleven members of the Pearl Continental Hotel Workers’ Union, working at the Pearl Continental Hotel, were imprisoned by the Karachi CIA in early January. Most of them were released. Union President Mohammad Nasir was investigated by the Provincial Ombudsman and released on 17 January, leaving three in detention.

On returning to work, he was suspended for being absent from work during the time he was detained – despite the fact that the hotel management were instrumental in his arrest.

The International Union of Foodworkers (IUF) filed a complaint to the ILO’s Freedom of Association Committee against the Pakistan government for violating basic trade union rights.

A demonstration on 6 February, organised jointly by the National Alliance of Trade Unions, the Action Committee for Civic Problems, and the IUF (Pakistan) demanded the release of the three remaining workers, who had been arrested on trumped up charges of murder, arson, and burglary.

The police were unable to prove the charges and finally had to release General Secretary Ghulam Mehboob, Joint Secretary Bashir Hussain, and Vice Chairman Aurangzeb on 21 March.