Textile workers protest

FAISALABAD: Hundreds of workers from textile processing, printing and other units staged a demonstration on Monday to express resentment over the suspension of gas supply for five days in a week.

Protesters warned that they would be constrained to stage a sit-in in front of parliament if immediate steps were not taken to ensure uninterrupted gas supply to the industry.

About a dozen small processions of workers, working in various textile units which were sponsored by their owners, were held on different roads and streets and converged at the secretariat of the City District Government (CDG) where they staged a sit-in for hours.

Owing to the protest rallies, traffic on almost all the major and small roads of the city remained suspended, causing difficulties for the travellers.

Speakers said gas was an essential item for running the wheel of the industry and its outages would badly affect the export-oriented industry by making it unable to meet export deadlines.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 1^st, 2011.