ISLAMABAD: At least six Careem captains have been blocked by the Careem management from their systems since March 20, 2018 for “creating anarchy” , the scribe has learned from reliable sources.
All the six captains are members of the Captains’ Central Executive Committee, CEC, that has been very vocal against the management policies. CEC has also been actively mobilizing the captains in the aftermath of recent spike in criminal activities against the captains.
CEC members also led the protest against the management on March 14, 2018 near Islamabad Press Club after their fellow captain Sajawal was murdered on March 13, 2018.
Captains have long accused the management of devising policies that go out of the way in favoring the clients. They also blame management for not doing enough for the security of captains.
After the blocking of CEC members, a message was circulated among the captains by the management stating that some captains had been blocked and prevented from operating within the system for “attacking Careem management at Islamabad Press Club, spreading anarchy and using the incident (of murder) for personal gains.”
Later, when the affected captains reached out to the management, they were informed that the decision to block them had been taken from the headquarters in UAE and that the local management could not do anything.
Talking to DRM, one captain closely aware about the matter shared that during the protest at Islamabad Press Club, some members of captains’ CEC convinced the management to spend a few minutes and listen to the grievances of the captains. However, when the management came there, somebody from the crowd threw a plastic bottle that hit one official of the Careem. Afterwards, the management left the venue without listening to the complaints of the captains despite repeated requests of the CEC members.
Later, on March 20, 2018, the CEC members were blocked. The captain lamented that the management blocked those who had nothing to do with the incident.
Another captain and member of CEC said that they were being punished for standing tall against the management policies. “We are not against the company but have only been protesting against their policies.”
