Karachi

A workers’ moot on Sunday, the May Day, demanded of the government to raise wages of labors in proportion to the price hike, and freeze payment of all foreign loans and their interest to stabilize the sagging economy.

The demands were made at the workers’ moot organized by National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) at Labor 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 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 labor 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 75 million 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-labor essence of the prevailing democratic system is a big hindrance in way of pro-labor 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.

They said that the former government of Imran Khan just for a loan of six billion US dollars sold 220 million 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 15 million 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 Toshakhana 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 labor 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 perpetual 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 organize 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 organizations of Pakistani workers, Leftist parties, human rights organizations, journalists, lawyers, doctors, paramedics, students, youth, women, trans-gender, minorities, teachers, and intellectuals to provide guidance to chalk out a joint program to cope with the prevailing crisis.

The moot demanded that labor 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 labor 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 neighboring 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. Privatization 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 trans-gender 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. (PR)

_____________________

The post Govt. asked to raise wages, freeze payment of foreign loans first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Karachi: National Trade Union Federation (NTUF) and Home-Based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF) jointly organized a Workers’ Red Flag March from the Regal Chowk to the Karachi Press Club (KPC) on Thursday to lodge protest over price hike, joblessness, poverty and hunger. A large number of workers displaying red flags took part in the rally.

Addressing the rally, trade union leaders said that the ruling elite are transferring the looted money from Pakistan to their safe heavens abroad, while the millions of workers of this country are deprived of the basic facilities of life, despite the fact that they work tirelessly. The rulers to get their vested interests have mortgaged Pakistan to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and other imperialistic lending institutions. An artificial political system created as a result of this economic slavery has now facing a downfall. The workers have pledged to fight this system based on injustice.

They said that due to imprudent economic, social and foreign policies of the rulers, the country has been pushed to the verge of collapse. The ruling classes, who represent the vested interests of international capital are pitched against the masses. The entire economic system of Pakistan is in the grip of the agents and employees of international lending institutions like the IMF. As a result, price hike, joblessness, hunger and poverty are at their peak. The rates of daily use kitchen items like wheat flour, sugar, cooking oil, rice and pulses have increased by one hundred percent. Medicines are made costlier by 300 to 400 percent and gas and electricity by 100 to 200 percent. This sharp price hike has broken the back of workers.

They said that the rulers shamelessly accuse the masses of not paying taxes, but the fact is that the masses pay taxes of Rs.610 billion a year just on petroleum products, while the government collects more than Rs.4000 billion taxes every year from other heads also. General sales tax on daily-use items is 31 percent of the total revenue of the government and this money is robbed from the pockets of common man. Due to anti-people policies of the sitting government today more than 16 million people are jobless. The number of the people living beneath the poverty line has seen a record increase of more than 2 Crore during the tenure of this government so far. The numbers of poor people visiting free kitchens have increased sharply. The numbers of beggars and homeless people in the urban areas of Pakistan is increasing sharply. Under the dictation of international lending institutions like IMFs, the government is systemically paralyzing and privatizing important entities of public sector and millions of people would become jobless due to this privatization.

They said that due to anti-people policies of this government, the Pakistani rupee has been devalued by about 17 percent, which means that the real wages of workers are cut by a half. The inflation rate in Pakistan is more than 11 percent which is almost double than other countries of the region, while per capita income in Pakistan is almost half than other countries of the region. The local and foreign loans have increased with a sharp pace. In 2018 the foreign loans were 93 billion dollars which are now increased to 122 billion dollars. The local loans in 2018 were 25 trillion rupees which have now increased to 40 trillion rupees.

The speakers said that in the backdrop of ongoing worst economic crisis in Pakistan, the capitalists and their organizations have filed a case in court against Rs.25000 per month minimum wages as announced by the government. These lawbreaker and apathetic capitalists are those people who do not pay taxes and also do not get registered their workers with social security card pension institutions. They do not recognize the minimum wages as the right of workers. They have kept 99 percent of workers deprived of the constitutional right of making unions. They have introduced illegal contract labor system in their organizations. Today factories and workplaces have become slavery houses for workers where they toil in inhuman and unsafe working conditions.

They said that to make workers afraid these capitalists employed retired officers of security agencies in their factories on heavy wages. In industrial zones there is virtually a martial law situation. Institutions like labor department, labor courts and NIRC have become front men of the capitalists and they work against the right of labors. The violation of human rights, labor laws and constitutional basic rights in factories and workplaces is the order of the day. All this is happening in the backdrop when Pakistan from 2014 has promised to safeguard the rights of workers against the facilities under GSP Plus. However, the labor rights as enshrined in the GSP Plus are being openly violated and as a result heavy duty could be slapped over garments and other products being exported to the European countries, which would cast very negative effects on the national industry, especially textile and garments sectors.

They said that due to the wrong policies of the sitting government, the resultant economic and political crisis has compelled different sections of society to take to the streets. There is ban and curbs on political and social workers, journalists and media organizations that expose the horrible economic, political and social crises looming large over the country. The sitting rulers in order to hide facts, to block access to information and to gag the freedom of Press and speech have hatched a conspiracy to slap a so-called Pakistan Media Development Authority that is being opposed by the journalists and media workers across the whole Pakistan.

They announced that to get rid of this crisis the only way is to organize a nationwide organization of workers for which efforts have already begun.

Through resolutions it was demanded to implementation of Rs.25000 minimum wages; ensure eight-hour working day, one paid weekly holiday and double rate overtime; end of modern slavery system of illegal contact labor; registration of every worker with social security and pension institutions; end of harassment of women and discrimination towards them at workplaces; lowering the price of wheat flour, cooking oil, pulses, sugar, rice, milk, electricity, gas, petroleum products, medicines, education, health, public transport and other basic needs of life; stopping privatization of public institutions like Pakistan Steel Mills and WAPDA; reinstating the workers and journalists sacked from government, semi-government and autonomous bodies and abolition of black law of Pakistan Media Development Authority.

Those spoke included Nasir Mansoor of National Trade Union Federation), Zehra Khan of Home Based Women Workers Federation, Karamat Ali of National Labor Council, Asad Iqbal Butt of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, Riaz Abbasi of National Trade Union Federation, Gul Rehman of Workers Right Movement, Faheem Siddiqui of Karachi Union of Journalists, Saira Feroze of United HB Workers Union, Jamila A. Latif of Home Based Women Bangle Workers Union, Qazi Khidr of HRCP, Aqib Hussain of J & P Coats, Babar Khan of Rauf Textile Workers Union, Saeeda Khatoon of Ali Enterprise Factory Fire Affecttees Association, Sajjad Zahir of Anjuman Taraqqi Pasand Musannafeen, Khaliq Zadgan of Lyari Awami Mahaz, Progressive Intellectual Dr. Asghar Darshti, Owais Jatoi of General Textile Workers Union, Mir Zulfiqar of Workers Education and Research Organization, Rabia and Nadra leaders of the Home-Based Women Workers Federation, Wahid Baloch, a progressive intellectual, comrade sultan of JKNP, Saeed Baloch of Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum, Manzoor Razi of Pakistan Railway union and others.

_______________________________

Sindh Courier

The post Workers’ Red Flag March in Karachi against govt. policies first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Karachi: Nine years have passed to the fire at Ali Enterprises factory in Baldia Town Karachi but the real culprits are still at large, the bereaved families and workers lamented during a memorial on Saturday the September 11, 2021 held to observe the anniversary of the worst industrial mishap in the history of Pakistan in which 260 workers had lost their lives.

The memorial gathering was organized jointly by National Trade Union Federation (NTUF), Ali Enterprises Factory Fire Affectees Association and Home-based Women Workers Federation (HBWWF), led by Saeeda Khatoon.

The speakers said that as there had been no proper safety arrangements at the Ali Enterprises, 260 innocent workers burned alive and more than 100 others got injured. To give this incident the color of terrorism, some vested interests tried to hide the widespread lawlessness and anti-workers atmosphere in our factories and workplaces but these matters could not be swept under carpet.

They said the incidents like Baldia and Mehran Town factory fires and mishaps in Lakhra and Balochistan coalmines show that the murder of workers in industrial mishaps could only be stopped when the negligent factory owners, officers of labor and building control authority and fire brigade and social security departments are taken to the task. They said that the incident of the Baldia factory fire would continue to remind the law enforcing officials and elected representatives of political parties to dole out justice to the bereaved families.

The speakers said that it was sad that the owners of the Baldia factory were termed innocent and moreover the German courts also failed to make accountable the German brand. They said today it could be said that the ILO conventions, GSP-plus agreement with European Union, accords with international brands and other voluntarily agreements have failed to give protection to the workers. They said that it has become necessary that such international laws should be enacted that make bound the international companies, brands and governments to ensure safety at workplaces.

They said in this regard recent lawmaking in Germany and an international accord are the good omens. They said that in this 21st century the Pakistani workers are still demanding the rights that were given to the workers in the 19th century by the imperialists’ rulers under their colonial system. During last 70 years the number of labor unions in Pakistan has decreased from 30percent to just one percent. The labor inspection department has been put on the back burner. Less than 5percent factories pay their workers the minimum wages as announced by the government. The same situation is seen in the areas of pension and social security.

They reminded that the government of Sindh had announced to observe the day of September 11, as the health and safety day, but since last two years this day is simply not being observed. The same government in 2017 had passed a Sindh workers safety and health Act, but it is yet to be implemented.

They said that the heirs of the martyrs of Baldia factory are still running from the pillar to post to get justice. Despite the clear instructions of the Sindh High Court, the EOBI has stopped the pension of the parents of the heirs without any prior information and due to this, these ages people are facing many hardships. At least 13 of them have already died due financial and medical problems.

They added that it is heartening that the labor organizations of Pakistan in their countrywide meeting have decided to wage a struggle from a joint platform for safeguarding the rights of workers and today they are present in this gathering to express solidarity. They said as a result of the struggle of the international workers movement, they have agreed upon an international accord in which the Brands and Companies are made bound to give workers their rights including the right of making labor unions, and ensure safety and health standards at workplaces.

They further said that it is heartening that under this accord a proper monitoring system is made its part to check the violations and it would benefit the affected workers. They said that we will try that this accord is also implemented in Pakistan in its letter and spirit.

On the occasion of the ninth anniversary of the Baldia factory fire incident, they speakers demanded that:

1. A high-level judicial commission should be established to start a probe afresh into the Baldia factory fire incident so that the responsibility could be fixed and solid steps be taken to stop the blatant violation of laws in industrial sector.
2. The stopped EOBI pension to the parents of the martyred workers of Baldia factory fire should be restored.
3. The stopped Sessi pension the widows, who have remarried, should be restored.
4. A compensation of Rs2.5million each should be immediately paid to the heirs of Mehran Town factory fire, besides giving them pension.
5. Strict implementation of Sindh workers safety and health Act should be ensured and such laws should also be passed in the other provinces.
6. Factory inspection system should be revamped and annual inspection of every factory should be ensured.
7. A monument should be erected in the memory of the martyrs of Baldia factory fire.
8. The government of Sindh should provide the promised jobs and residential plots to the heirs of the martyred workers.
9. A Pakistan Accord on the pattern of Bangladesh Accord should be inked to improve working conditions and working hours in Pakistani factories.
10. The system of labor inspection should be modernized so that strict steps could be taken to ensure safety of workers in factories and workplaces.
11. We demand from the elected representatives of Pakistan to raise voice against sacking of 16000 government employees due to a court decision and come with a joint strategy in Parliament so that the sacked employees could be restored and their families saved from an economic murder.

Those who spoke included Nasir Mansoor general secretary NTUF, Rafiq Baloch president NTUF, Zehra Khan general secretary HBWWF, Karamat Ali convenor National Labor Council, Habibuddin Junaidi president Peoples Labor Bureau, Comrade Gul Rehman of Workers Rights Movement, Saira Bano general secretary United Home-based Women Garment Workers Union, Aqib Hussain president Youth Committee, Khan Zaman of Balochistan Labor Federation, Qazi Khizar, Vice Chairperson HRCP, Niaz Khan of Progressive Labor Federation, Mian Qayoon of Labour Qaumi Movement, Taufiq Ahmed, Ali Ashraf Naqvi, former OSH inspector and joint director, Comrade Jannat and other and others.

___________________________

Sindh Courier

The post Baldia Factory Fire: Culprits still at large after 9-years first appeared on Sindh Courier.

Sindh Courier Report

Karachi: A protest demo of workers here Monday regretting that the industrialists and employers are bent to exploit their workers, demanded immediate implementation of the minimum wages as announced by the government.

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 NTUF said that 95percent of employers are involved in the crime of not paying the minimum wages to their workers. This shows their mala fide 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 Rs.10000 to Rs.14000 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 their workers. They have left no stone unturned 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 labor department. “Now, we see that the persons responsible for the death of workers in Mehran Town factory fire are not arrested nor any action taken against them.” He said that the labor organizations think if this country is to be made a truly progressive industrialized country, it would not be possible unless the workers are given their due rights as per law and Constitution and international agreements and standards.

Karamat Ali of National Labor Council said that Pakistan is getting incentives from the European Union under GSP-plus. It assures implementation of ILO labor standards, but practically the open violation of these agreements and conventions has been continuing. Sadly, the EU countries are criminally ignoring the open violations of these labor standards, while the ILO is also cooperating with these industrialists who are openly defying the local and international labor laws.

Habibuddin Junaidi of PLB 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 DWU of State bank said that if the present inflation rate is taken into account, at least Rs.40000 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 labor 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 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 behavior 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 Rs.2.5 million to every bereaved family, besides lifelong pension and other perks as per law.

They asked to modernize labor 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 labor 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.

________________________

Sindh Courier

The post Workers stage demo for minimum wages, work place safety first appeared on Sindh Courier.