Karachi, September 06, 2021 (PPI-OT):A protest demo of workers here Monday regretted that the industrialists and employers are bent to exploit their workers, demanding immediate implementation of the minimum wages an announced by the government.
As per details, a large number of workers staged a protest demo against non-implementation of the minimum wages. The demo jointly arranged by the National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) was led by NTUF leader Riaz Abbasi, Comrade Gul Rehman, Zahra Khan of HBWWF and Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire. A large number of workers, trade unions leaders and human rights activists attended the demo.
Nasir Mansoor of National Trade union Federation (NTUF) said that 95percent of employers are involved in the crime of not paying the minimum wages to their workers. He said that employers do not pay the minimum wages, irrespective of they are Rs10000 per month or Rs25000 per month. This shows their malafide intentions towards workers, as well as, their disrespect to the law of land. He further said that 95percent of workers are not getting the minimum wages as announced by the government, but sadly the related government departments have become silent spectators.
He added that on one hand the employers exploit their workers and compel them to work on meagre wages from Rs10000 to Rs14000 per month and on the other hand they refuse to improve inhuman working conditions in their factories and industries. They try to maximize their profits and wealth at the cost of toiling of their workers, but they have left no stone unturned in order to make their factories and workplaces virtual death chambers for the workers.
Mansoor said that it has been seen that after the Baldia factory fire tragedy no action was taken against the factory owners and negligent officers of labour department. “Now we see that the persons responsible for the death of workers in Mehran Town factory fire are not arrested or any action taken against them.” He said that the labour organisations think if this country is to be made a truly progressive industrialized country, it would be not possible unless the workers are given their due rights as per law and Constitution and international agreements and standards.
Karamat Ali of National Labour Council said that Pakistan is getting incentives from the European Union under GSP-plus. It assures implementation of ILO labour standards, but practically the open violation of these agreements and conventions has been continuing. Sadly, the countries of the EU are criminally ignoring the open violations of these labour standards, while the ILO in also cooperating these industrialists who are openly defying the local and international labour laws.
Habibuddin Junaidi of People Labour Bureau said that due to anti-people policies of the sitting government more than twenty million more people have gone beneath the poverty line in last two years. About 15 million workers have lost their jobs fully or partially. It was the need of the hour to give more employment opportunities to citizens but sadly due to a court order, more than 16000 government employees were sacked with a stroke of pen. Resultantly, the sacked employees and their families are compelled to commit self-immolations in front of court houses.
Liaquat Sahi of Democratic Workers Union of State bank said that if the present inflation rate is taken into account, at least Rs40000 per month minimum wage should have be given to workers, besides the free of cost social security and old age pension, but sadly our industrialists are not ready to give their workers the minimum wages or get them registered with social security and old age benefits institutions.
The employees of labour and social security departments fully support the industrialists and employers in this illegal act. The crimes of factory owners are not just limited to this but they also compel their workers to work in dangerous working conditions which are totally against the local laws and international health and safety standards. Resultantly, the incidents at the workplaces are increasing sharply.
Zehra Khan of Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) said as per a conservative estimate in Pakistan 41 workers out of every 1000 workers face industrial mishaps, which means that every year more than 3,000,000 workers get injured in the industrial incidents. However, there is no proper data about the death of workers in workplace mishaps. In these circumstances it has become necessary to ink an accord like Bangladesh accord to improve the working conditions.
She warned the government and industrialists to stop physical and economic murder of workers. She urged the courts not to provide opportunities to government to sack more employees. Speakers in the protest warned that if the present behaviour of violation of law and Constitution and labour rights as per international standards and agreements is not stopped, the workers would have no choice but to launch a resistance movement.
The participants of the protest demo demanded to implement the minimum wages of Rs25000 per month as announced by the government of Sindh, because during last two years the minimum wages were not raised.
They demanded to arrest the accused of Mehran Town factory fire and give a compensation of Rs2.5 million to every bereaved family, besides lifelong pension and other perks as per law.
They asked to modernize labour inspection process to ensure safety at workplaces.
They demanded from the elected representatives to ensure immediate reinstitution of 16000 sacked employees by chalking out a joint strategy in Parliament.
They asked to ink a “Pakistan Accord” for safety of workers and to stop the growing industrial mishaps in Pakistan and under which all local and international companies and brands should be made bound to implement labour laws and health and safety standards.
Those spoke included Gul Rahman and Riaz Abbadi of NTUF, Khizr Qazi of HRCP, Saeeda Khatoon of Association of the Affectees of Baldia factory fire, Saira Feroz of Untied HBWs Union, Ashghar Dasti intellectual, Aqib Hussain, Owais Jatoi and others.
For more information, contact:
Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF)
726, Mashrique Centre, Block 14, Gulshan-e-Iqbal,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Website: https://hbwwf.org/