Daily Times

In response to a news item which appeared in Daily Times on July 29 titled “Guards protest non-payment of salaries, layoff”, the Byco Petroleum clarified that the facts of the situation have been misrepresented in the report.

“Gasherbrum Security Services has been providing security services to Byco Petroleum for the past three years for its Oil terminal located in Mehmood Kot. In June, Gasherbrum intimated to Byco that they intend to terminate the security contract with Byco,” a statement issued by the Byco said. “Byco accepted this and appointed a new security agency for its Oil Depot. On 15 July 2020, the final day of the agreement between Gasherbrum and Byco, the latter settled all outstanding dues with Gasherbrum, except funds that were reserved for payments to be made to the EOBI, SESSI, and Punjab Labor Department on behalf of the outgoing agency’s guards,” it added.

“Upon receiving the payment from Byco on 15 July, Gasherbrum’s CEO, Mr. Taimur Zia Butt, promised to his employees working at the Oil Depot in Mehmood Kot that he would immediately clear all the outstanding salaries of his employees that had not been paid for some time,” the statement read. “However, upon returning to his head office in Islamabad, Taimur Zia Butt failed to make good on his promise and did not pay the security guards of his own company the withheld payment of their three-month salaries,” it added.

“Subsequently, the laid off workers began to stage a protest outside the terminal gate from the 20th of July till date, blocking the entrance of the Oil Depot. This has created a huge loss for Byco in terms of lack of access for its tank lorries to lift and deposit fuel at and from the terminal,” the statement read. “Even Byco’s own employees are now not able to enter the facility due to the blockage which is attempting to blackmail Byco to make payment of the former guards’ salaries which should be paid by Gasherbrum in the first place. Byco fully supports the guards in their just demand to be paid their back pay. Gasherbrum should immediately pay them their salaries and end the standoff,” it added.

“Given the fact that Eid is only days away when fuel demand normally spikes, this situation is creating a shortage in fuel in the area with retail outlets running dry. In addition, the law and order situation can easily cascade in to a security situation given the flammable fuels present at the Key Point installation that the Oil Depot stores,” the statement read. “The authorities must take control of the situation and end the protest immediately to avoid any further problems in the run up to the holidays,” it concluded.