Labor leaders criticize unjust policies of State Life Insurance; demand restoration of old structure of organization
Sindh Courier Report
Hyderabad
All Pakistan State Life Field Workers Association and the National Trade Union Federation Pakistan (NTUF) jointly organized a protest rally here on Wednesday from Gul Center to Hyderabad press club with red flags against rising inflation, unemployment and miserable working conditions of state life workers.
The rally was led by Muhammad Tahir Siddiqui, General Secretary of the association and large number of workers from different sectors participated.
Speaking on the occasion workers’ representatives said that every policy of the management of State Life Insurance was hostile towards the workers as a result of which the institution had been on the verge of collapse. The Auditor General of Pakistan strongly mentioned in his report that due to wrong policies of the management, the business of the organization has been drastically reduced and suggested to take action against the officers responsible for it but action was being taken against the workers and also blackmailed by the management.
They also said that sales officers’ cadre was restored by three courts of National Industrial Relation Commission (NIRC) in Islamabad, Karachi and Quetta but the management didn’t respect the courts verdicts
Nasir Mansoor, general secretary, NTUF in his speech spoke on general working and living conditions of the workers. He said elite classes had become henchmen of international capital and financial institutes against people of Pakistan. Because of their anti-people policies the monster of inflation, unemployment and poverty pervaded the society. Prices of consumer goods, especially flour, sugar, edible oil, ghee, rice and pulses, had risen by 100 per cent. The only way to deal with this crisis lies in the resistance and organization of the working class.
He further said that the prices of essential medicines for human life had been increased by 300 to 400 percent while the prices of electricity and gas had been increased from 100 to 200 percent. The nearly two-fold increase in the prices of petroleum products had broken the backs of the workers.
Labor leader said that as a result of IMF driven policies, more than 16 million people had lost their jobs and 20 million more forced to live below the poverty line within small period of two years .
The labor leaders said that unconstitutional restrictions were being imposed on political, social activists, journalists and broadcasters, pointing to the terrible economic, political and social crisis looming in the country. Journalists and media workers across the country were protesting against the conspiracy to impose the Media Development Authority to curb freedom of expression and dissent voices.
They declared that the only way out of current crisis was through a nationwide movement and organization of the workers, for which efforts had been started.
At the end of the workers’ rally, several resolutions were passed demanding:
- Field workers structure should be restored in Pakistan State Life Insurance.
- Recognize the decision of NIRC , Quetta bench
- Ensure a minimum monthly wage of Rs.25,000 for all unskilled laborers.
- Ensure eight hours work, weekly wage leave, overtime double wages.
- Take concrete steps to make flour, ghee, pulses, sugar, rice, milk, electricity, gas, petrol, medicine, education, health, transport and other necessities of life affordable and accessible to the people.
- The privatization plan of public institutions including Pakistan Steel, WAPDA should be terminated immediately.
- Reinstate forcibly dismissed workers and journalists from public and private institutions.
- The implementation of black law like Pakistan Media Development Authority should be stopped.
Abdul Qayyum Magra , Raja Muzaffar Hussain Mohammad Ali Sheikh, Mohammad Taq Siddiqui, Abdul Ghani Sheikj , Ahmad Malik , Sarwan Kumar Bachani ,Ali Akbar Baloch. Nadeemul Haq, Faiz Mohammad Sahto , Mehboob Qureshi , Shakeela Khan , Riaz Abassi , Comrade Gul Reham also addressed the rally.
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