NTUF – Newswire Pakistan

May 1, 2022May 5, 2022

Government asked to raise wages, cap payment of foreign loans

Karachi, May 01, 2022 (PPI-OT):A big moot of workers here Sunday demanded of the government to raise wages of labours in proportion to the price hike, and freeze payment of all foreign loans and their interest to stabilise the sagging economy. As per details, National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) on the occasion of May 1 organized a big Jalsa of workers at Labour Square, SITE Karachi that was attended by a huge number of workers.

It was jointly presided over by NTUF president Rafiq Baloch and HBWWF general secretary Zehra Khan. The speakers of the moot said that the basic questions and demands raised by the Chicago workers still await answers. For a sustainable social justice and democracy in the world it is necessary that the means of production be made a collective possession of society.

The history has proved that the supremacy of capital has not only promoted wars, hunger, killings, diseases and joblessness but also strengthened an anti-human and anti-environmental system which gives birth to all sorts of injustice.

Resultantly, snatching the resources of nations, depriving women and children of their rights and imposing fascism in the name of religion, cast, creed and patriotism are being witnessed by the society. This system despite its so-called progress forces billions of people to spend a life that worse than animals.

A decisive victory over this system would guarantee a sustainable peace and development in the world. The labour leaders said that in a backward country like Pakistan, capitalism is present in its worst form. Here the ruling classes and their political and security outfits despite all their internal conflicts are fully agreed to implement anti-people economic and political policies.

The rulers have deprived more than 7.5 Crore workers of factories, workplaces and farms of their basic rights of trade unions, social security and old age pension. They showed a criminal negligence even in getting implemented the government-announced minimum wages. The anti-labour essence of the prevailing democratic system is a big hindrance in way of pro-labour legislation.

Seventy percent citizens who give vote to elected representatives belong to the working class but they have no representation in parliament. The ruling classes are there to safeguard the vested interests of local Capital and foreign lender institutions who have enslaved the people.

The former government of Imran Khan just for a loan of six billion US dollars sold 22 Crore people to International Monetary Fund (IMF) that is an institution to safeguard the American interests. The central bank has been handed over to a salaried person of capitalist financial institution and his economic batman was imposed as the finance advisor. Now the multi-party new government is also begging the IMF for loans.

This government is talking about an additional loan of two billion dollars. All these governments are agents of capitalist institutions and killers of people. They said that half of the population of the country has already gone beneath the poverty line.

During last two years more than one and half Crore people were rendered fully or partially jobless and five million more families went beneath the poverty line; however, the rulers used helicopters to commute between office and home. These rulers obtained national gifts from Tosha Khana on cheaper rates and shamelessly sold them in market on profit.

This shows the low mentality of these rulers. There is a need that instead of supporting them the masses should launch a struggle to get rid of them. The labour leaders said that the rulers are taking no serious steps to cope with the prevailing economic crisis. The worsening conditions in the country could give birth to a dreadful human tragedy.

The imprudent and wrong policies of the imposed rulers are responsible for this tragedy. This crisis is not the result of just governmental or administrative failure but this State and economic crisis is the direct result of the failure of economy. The sluggish production process is unable to cope with the ongoing economic crisis. The purchasing power of millions of people has already been diminished. Local markets have been facing a preputial depression.

The foreign exchange obtained from exports and remittances of overseas Pakistanis (estimated 55 billion dollars) is not sufficient to meet the import expenses (about 70 billion dollars) and the gap would be bridged through more foreign loans. Presently the foreign loans of the government are 118 billion dollars and of them 50 billion dollars loans were obtained during the period of the PTI government.

To save the country from becoming another Sri Lanka and to support the balance of payments the country would need twelve billion dollars in coming three months, which would push the nation further deep into the pit of loans. The overall economic scenario shows that after payment of foreign loans and their interest and meeting defense and administrative expenses there would be nothing to spend on development projects.

The working class in Pakistan is facing the worst economic crisis due to the agreement inked with the IMF in 2019. The prices of edibles especially wheat flour, pluses, sugar, rice, ghee, milk, meat and vegetables have gone out of the reach of common man.

The rates of basic necessities like electricity, gas, medicines, petroleum products, public transport and education are dangerously hiked, creating a hue and cry in low-income classes. The inflation rate is at a dangerous level of 12 percent. In the result of the promises made by the present government to the IMF, there would be no any ray of hope for the poor masses.

The speakers said that the new government also has no solid planning and program for bringing a betterment in the lives of working-class people. The incoming and outgoing rulers both are befooling the masses with catchy slogans. In these circumstances, the only way out is that the working-class masses should organise themselves in the light of the fundamental questions raised by the workers of Chicago to become an alternate political force.

The speakers said that on the platform of this rally they would appeal to all organisations of Pakistani workers, Leftist parties, human rights organisations, journalists, lawyers, doctors, paramedics, students, youth, women, transgender, minorities, teachers, and intellectuals to provide guidance to chalk out a joint program to cope with the prevailing crisis.

The Jalsa demanded that labour laws should be fully implemented in factories and workplaces. Wages should be paid banks through bank accounts and they should be linked to trade union making. Contract labour system should be made a crime. Every citizen should be given the facilities of education, healthcare and housing. Public transport system should be revamped.

To get rid of the capitalistic dominance and to achieve a real democracy the payment of all foreign loans and their interest should be frozen as per international best practices. Import of all
Luxury goods and the goods that are being produced locally or could be made locally should be banned. All non- development expenses should be slashed by 50 percent. Trade relations with the neighbouring countries especially India, China and Iran should be promoted.

Land reforms should be initiated to strengthen democracy and running the wheels of industry. Absent landlord-ship should be banned and all state-owned cultivatable lands should be distributed among the landless Haris free of cost. Federal entities should be empowered constitutionally. Concessional rate gas and electricity should be provided to the national export-oriented industry.

Electoral reform should be introduced to give a real representation to workers, women and downtrodden classes of society. An empowered local government system should be established. Privatisation of state owned industrial and financial entities should be ended and to run these entities all stakeholders including the representatives of workers should be consulted.

Women, minorities and transgender should be recognized as equal citizens practically and all discriminatory laws should be abolished. Social divide in the name of faiths and beliefs should be ended. Right of expression should be practically implemented and unannounced censorship on media should be lifted.

Extrajudicial disappearances and missing incidents of citizens should be ended. All anti- environmental projects should be halted. Razing of settlements in the name of development should be stopped and all affected families should be given compensation.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor, Riaz Abbasi and Gul Rehman of NTUF, Ainee Yaqoob and Parveen Bano of HBWWF, Saira Feroz and Zahida Parveen of United HB Garments Workers Union, Aqib Hussain and Bilawal of Youth organisation Alternate, Bakht Zameen, SITE Labour Forum, Saeeda Khatoon of Baldia Factory Fire Association, Taufeeq Ahmed and others.

For more information, contact:
Deputy General Secretary,
National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF)
R-16, Al Hilal Society Block- IV-V, KDA Scheme 7,
Karachi, Pakistan
Tel: +92-21-37075324
Fax: +92-21-34142149
Cell: +92-300-3587211
Email: ntufpak@gmail.com
Website: www.ntufpak.org

January 12, 2022January 13, 2022

Pharma industry workers face worst exploitation in Pakistan

Karachi, January 12, 2022 (PPI-OT):Workers of pharmaceutical industry in Pakistan face the worst exploitation and industry owners despite earning billions of rupees are not ready to give basic labour rights to these workers, said labour leaders, addressing a press conference arranged by National Trade Unions Federation (NTUF) and workers of pharmaceutical industry at the Karachi Pakistan Club (KPC) here Wednesday.

They said the pharma industry was amongst the sectors that made the most profits during the Coronavirus pandemic. They also got huge incentives and benefits from the government. However, the workers of this sector faced the worst working condition. They said in Pakistan the prices of medicines are hiked by 311 percent and more increase in expected in them in the coming mini-budget.

Presently, in Pakistan there are more than 700 pharmaceutical companies that are also exporting drugs to more than 60 other countries. Their annual sale in more than Rs560 billion and it is increased at the rate if 15percent per annum. More than 100000 workers are directly related and one million people indirectly related to this sector. However, the workers of this sector are deprived of their basic rights including making their trade unions.

They said as per local and international laws workers of all categories have the right of making their labour unions and the Supreme Court has also ratified it, but still the workers of the pharma sector are deprived of this right. They said that the nature of jobs in the pharma sector is that of permanent work, but 90 percent of its workforce is compelled to work on temporary basis.

The illegal contract labour system is present in almost all factories and medicines are made in unhygienic conditions that is an anti-human act. These factories are virtual sweat shops. Their production process is being outsourced in dangerous COVID conditions to the places that are utterly unhygienic. It posses threats to not only workers but the users of these products also.

The majority of workers in the pharma sector is not issued social security and EOBI cards. The workers contribution to SESSI and EOBI is deposited through contractors so as that relation to industry could not be established. They said that the Supreme Court has already decided that all industries related to life-saving sector would hire permanent employees, but the verdicts of the court are not being implemented.

Instead of regularization of the jobs of workers they are being appointed on temporary basis under the title of production support officers (PSOs) and hence deprived of their due rights. The institutions like Social Security, EOBI and workers welfare board have become the dens of corruption. They said the workers welfare board is badly marred with corruption, where dowry grant, education scholarship and even death grant is not issued without taking bribes.

They said that houses of the workers welfare board were allotted in 2013 but despite passage of nine years their possession is yet to be given to the workers. These houses are not liveable as they have no water, power and gas facilities. They said that in Sindh law is enacted about five percent workers participation fund, but the other provinces do not have such a law. They said under this law a huge amount is deposited with the registrar Sindh High Court, but these funds are not yet distributed among the workers.

They said that saving Sindh, in other provinces the dowry grant is increased from Rs100000 to Rs200000; death grant from Rs500000 to Rs600000 and educational scholarship, money for shoes and pocket money is doubled. They asked that the workers of Sindh should also be given these facilities. On the occasion the union of pharma sector workers announced to wage a struggle from the platform of NTUF for their rights on in this regard on February 15 an All Pakistan Pharma Workers Conference would be organised to launch a movement for realization of their rights.

They demanded that the workers of the pharmaceutical industry should be given the right to make their labour unions. Contact labour system should be ended and as per the decision of the Supreme Court the workers of life saving sector should be made permanent. The contributions of EOBI and social security should be recovered from the companies instead of contractors and cards in the name of workers should be issued. Illegal practice of appointing temporary workers in the name of PSOs should be stopped. Hygiene condition in pharmaceutical industry should be improved and outsourcing of their products should be stopped.

The workers should be given insurance and SESSI cards. Bribery in Workers Welfare Fund should be stopped; otherwise, the workers would besiege the offices of the Board. The registrar of SHC should distribute the amount of five percent workers participation amongst the workers. The government of Sindh like other provinces should increase the funds of dowry, death grants and educational scholarship. The houses of workers should be given the facilities of water, power and gas and their possession should be given to the allottees.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor NTUF, Rafiq Baloch NTUF, Manzoor Ahmed Martin Dow Market Workers Union (CBA), Bakht Zameen Hilex Pharma Employees Union (CBA), Farman Khan Asprin Pharma Workman Union, Muhammad Kashif Khan Glaxco Smith Line Workers Union, Fazal-e-Wahab OBS Pakistan Employees Union (CBA), Muhammad Bachal Searl Employees Union, Sher Ali Avient Pakistan Employees Union, Zahir Shah Essity Employees Union, Nazar Abbas Opal Employees Union, Gul Rehman Labour Rights Movement, and Riaz Abbasi SITE Labour Forum.

August 30, 2021August 31, 2021

Korangi factory inferno result of failure to learn lesson from Baldia fire incident: Labour leaders

Karachi, August 30, 2021 (PPI-OT):Had we learnt a lesson from the Baldia factory fire incident and taken serious steps to ensure safety of workplaces, the sad incident of Korangi factory fire could have been avoided, said labour leaders, addressing a press conference here at the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Tuesday.

They regretted that the factory owners, related government departments, legislatives and society have not given any importance to the safety at workplaces and prevailing worst conditions at workplaces. Resultantly, the incidents at workplaces have risen sharply. There is no reliable data at the government level about the number of the deceased and injured workers in such incidents.

They said that the sad fact is that factories and workplaces have become mints for industrialists, but butcher houses for the workers. The industry mafia has got full support of the labour department and law enforcement agencies to exploit their workers. They said every voice against stopping to make the factories sweat houses is harshly suppressed. They said retired officers of law enforcement agencies employed by industrialists have created an atmosphere of fear in workplaces. They said the labour inspection process has been virtually ended and the labour department officers are getting salaries from the government but serving the industrialists.

They said that a few days before the ninth anniversary of the Baldia factory fire, BM Luggage Industries Korangi caught a horrible fire, which shows that the lives of workers are still not safe at their workplaces. They said 260 workers had burned alive in the Baldia factory fire but a single criminal was punished.

The speakers said that the most important aspect of the Baldia factory fire, lack of national and international safety standards, was ignored and the incident was given a political colour. On the basis of JIT report and political polarization this sad industrial mishap was dubbed as terrorism and the criminal role of the factory owners, as well as, labour department officials was ignored. Resultantly, instead of taking strict safety and health measures at the workplaces, these places were made virtually killing fields for innocent workers.

However, in Bangladesh after the incident of Rana Plaza fire, their government, labour organisations, factory owners and international brands struck as Bangladesh Accord and with its strict implementation not only factories and workplaces were made safer for the workers, but the labourers found opportunities to get them organised and get their due rights. Moreover, the number of industrial mishaps also decreased.

Same was the case in Germany, where after consultation of many years, a law was passed that if a German company was found involved in any illegal act anywhere in the world, legal action would be taken against it in Germany. The European parliament has also begun consultation to pass such a law.

However, instead of improving industrial atmosphere in Pakistan, the ban on factory inspection slapped by the Zia martial law in Pakistan is still there despite the passage of 45 years, in spite of the fact that as per the Factory Act, annual inspection of every factory to check health and safety measures is a requirement of law. However, the system of factory inspection was put on the back burner and as a result deadly industrial mishaps are on the rise. It is sad that the Punjab government has announced to end the factory inspection altogether, which is an open violation of ILO convention.

The speakers said that the anti-worker attitude of the Sindh labour department could be seen from the fact that 60 percent posts in this department have been lying vacant for last 10 years as a result the performance of this department is zero. Had the government of Sindh and its labour department taken strict steps after the sad accident of Baldia factory fire, the tragedy of Korangi factory fire could have been avoided. Due to the untiring struggle of labour organisations Sindh Health and Safety Act was passed in the year 2016, but it lacks implementation as even the meeting of Council made under this law is yet to be summoned. They warned that if the government failed to take immediate steps for health and safety at workplaces, the workers would not allow the unsafe factories and industries to run.

The speakers said that in the present scenario the labour organisations are right to say that the local industrialists, their international buyers, government and its labour-related departments are not ready to give rights to workers as per the Constitution and labour laws. This is why the ratio of making labour unions in Pakistan is less than one percent. Only four to five percent of workers are getting benefits under the social security schemes. The illegal contact labour system still prevails. Daily working hours are 10 to 12 hours without overtime, which is just a forced labour.

The apathy of industrialists can be gauged from the fact that when the Sindh government fixed minimum wages at Rs25000 per month, the industrialists instead of accepting it tried to blackmail the government, besides challenging the minimum wages in Sindh High Court.

In these circumstances when the workers are given no right to make their unions, and employers are not accepting rise in wages and they are not ready to register their workers in pension and social security institutions, the workers are left with no other choice but to protest and show resistance.

The speakers demanded from the government to lodge a case of murder against the owner of BM Luggage Industry, its administration and the heads of related entities and arrest them immediately.

They demanded that the heirs of the deceased should be paid compensation at the rate of Rs2.5 million each, and free of cost medical treatment should be provided to all injured.

They asked that the payment of pension, group insurance and gratuity should be paid immediately to the heirs of the martyred workers.

They also demanded to sack the officials who gave permission to set up an industrial unit in a residential locality and give them punishment as per law.

They asked to conduct judicial probe into all industrial incidents of this type to fix responsibility and know the reasons behind such incidents.

They asked to implement the recent increase in minimum wages.

They demanded to implement Sindh workplace safety and health Act and make it mandatory to set up health and safety committees on factory level in all industrial zones.

They asked to modernize labour inspection system and fill the vacant posts of labour inspectors in Sindh labour department and give equal representation to female in this process.

They also demanded to start a fresh probe into Baldia factory fire incident and include the owners of the factory in this investigation.

Those spoke included Karamat Ali convener National Labour Council, Nasir Mansoor general secretary National Trade Union Federation Pakistan, Asad Butt co-chairman Human Rights Commission Pakistan, Zahra Khan general secretary Home Based Women Workers Federation, Saeeda Khatoon chairperson of Association of the Affectees of Baldia Factory Fire, Riaz Abbasi secretary Site Labour Forum, Akber Memon, leader of Pakistan Trade Union Defence Campaign, Comrade Gul Rehman convener Workers Rights Movement, Liaquat Ali Sahi General Secretary Democratic Workers Union State Bank of Pakistan and Farhat Parveen leader of Nao Community, Fahim Siddique (KUJ), Saeed Baloch of PFF and M. Saleem, victim’s father from BM industries factory.