On 23 December 2010, Imran Ali, the General Secretary of the Employees Union of the Swiss-based agri-chemicals multinational, Syngenta, affiliated to the Pakistan Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers (PCEM) - an International Federation of Chemical, Energy, Mine and General Workers’ Unio (ICEM) affiliate - was sacked without notice after reportedly refusing to stop trade union activities. The union was due to submit a draft collective agreement which would have been effective as of 1 January 2011.
On the same day, some 50 contract workers who had filed a case for permanent worker status were threatened by Syngenta’s security chief. On 18 December, the labour court decided in their favour, entitling them to permanent employment immediately. Syngenta Pakistan management refused to acknowledge the judgement.
On 28 December, paramilitary forces were called to the company. Throughout January, the company refused to reinstate Imran.