LAHORE - The Federal Board of Revenue officials continue to defy order of the court, which has restrained them to take any action against the office-bearers of the union including its central president.
Setting aside the verdict of National Industrial Relations Commission (NIRC), the FBR authorities continued to harass Federal Revenue Alliance Employees Union central president Mian Abdul Qayyum and several other office-bearers, sending them notices and show-cause just to stop them from raising voice for the cause of workers. NIRC member Baqir Ali Rana in its order, issued on March 17, 2014, observed “This is a petition under section 54(E) of IRA, 2012 filed by the petitioners. Let notice of the petition be issued to the respondents. Meanwhile, subject to notice the respondents are restrained from passing any adverse action/order against the services of the petitioners.” FBR anti-workers group of high officials are misleading the chairman Tariq Bajwa so that he could not take solid and revolutionary measures for the reformation in taxation system, as the change will hurt the interests of bureaucracy, stated FBR Union central president Mian Abdul Qayyum. “The anti-worker bureaucracy is fully trying to create clash between union and the chairman.
The anti-worker mafia including Member IR Ashfaq Khan, chief management Bashirullah, Member Admin Shahid Jatoi and Chief Commissioner RTO Lahore Shafqat Mehmood are misguiding Tariq Bajwa against lower staff of the FBR.” He urged the FBR Chairman to take steps to expedite liaison with the workers, who are the backbone of the tax department. He said like previous years the employees union continue to support the FBR revenue collection drive but Chairman would have to facilitate the workers also by fulfilling their long-standing demands. Mian Qayyum said several high-ups of the FBR have always admitted the genuine nature of workers’ demand but they are not ready to implement those demands. FBR union president said that the workers have attached their hopes with Tariq Bajwa because of his excellent performance as a Punjab Finance secretary.
He said the chairman would have to utilize his best abilities to facilitate the employees who are collecting revenues for the government despite all odds.