Factory owners plead against Sindh govt's ban on sackings

Claim they cannot export when goods transport is restricted

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) directed factory owners on Monday to file a plea against the Sindh government's ban on firing employees during the lockdown, after making amendments to it.

A two-member bench was hearing the plea.

The government lawyer informed the court that the plea, as it stands, would be ineffective due to the enforcement of the Sindh Covid-19 Emergency Relief Ordinance, 2020.

The court subsequently inquired whether the Sindh government had been offering relief to the factory owners.

To this, the government lawyer stated that the relief package under the ordinance included a 20 per cent concession in school tuition fees, relief in the payment of rent of properties, and discounts in duty fees and taxes.  Many factories have even been allowed to function, he added.

Meanwhile, the counsel for a textile mill owner maintained that the textile mills dealt with exports but could not be expected to export consignments when goods transport is restricted.

The government lawyer replied that goods transport was still operating throughout the province.

The court directed the petitioners to file their plea after making amendments to it and adjourned the hearing till June 4.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 19^th, 2020