Labour unions agree to form confederation

A representative consultation meeting of the trade unions and workers organisations from across the country decided to form a unified confederation of labour unions.

The meeting demanded the government to withdraw all anti-workers’ policies including privatisation and conditions dictated by the IMF and World Bank.

Organised by Pakistan Institute of Labour Education and Research (PILER) at PILER Centre the consultation was presided over by Abdul Latif Nizamani, Convener of National Labour Council and addressed by the key labour leaders including Khurshid Ahmed, General Secretary of All Pakistan Workers Confederation; Nasir Mansoor, General Secretary of National Trade Union Federation (NTUF); Habibuddin Junaidi, People’s Labour Bureau; Karamat Ali, Executive Director of PILER; trade unions leaders Aslam Wafa, Sultan Khan, Rubina Jameel, Bushra Arain also addressed the meeting.

The worker bodies agreed to unite the labour unions across the country on a single platform and establish a national level organisation. It was reiterated at the meeting that there was general agreement among the trade unions that a joint platform of a national level trade union and a trade union will be announced at a major national convention to be held in September this year.

It was pledged that all the trade unions would work together and make a collective effort to solve problems instead of confronting each other. The meeting announces its full support for the workers’ demonstration to be held in Lahore next week.

The meeting rejected the anti-labour policies of the present government and demands that all such decisions, which have harmed the workers should be reversed. The situation of the workers in the country is very worrying and the policies of the present government, including the agreements reached with the IMF and the World Bank are anti-workers.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 12^th, 2021.