Industrial relations: Three union leaders accused of theft, assault

‘Case meant to pressure us into giving up workers’ rights struggle’.


Our Correspondent April 23, 2012

FAISALABAD:


Razabad police have registered a case against three members of a loom workers’ union accused by a loom owner of assaulting his factory, beating workers, setting yarn stock worth thousands of rupees on fire and depriving him of Rs100,000.


The suspects were accused of forcing entry into the loom yard owned by Usman Sheikh in Madinabad and beating workers on putting up resistance. The FIR said the suspects set fire to equipment as well as yarn stock and took away Rs100,000. It said three workers – Muhammad Sharif, Tanveer Munshi and Saqib – were injured for putting up resistance.

The FIR further said that the incident followed threats of an attack by the suspects – identified as Muhammad Sharif, Malik Sher alias Malko and Javaid Habib – if the owner did not commit to pay protection money on a monthly basis.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Sharif, one of the named suspects, rejected the charges. He said the case was registered to pressure them into not raising voice for the rights of loom workers. He said his union represented workers of over 35,000 power looms in Razabad area. “We only demanded that the owners pay wages to the workers in accordance with the labour laws. They (loom owners) have made a habit of denying wages to workers despite making them work for up to 14 hours a day,” he said. He alleged that the police were colluding with the loom owners.

The loom owners in Razabad area have been on strike for over 10 days in protest against what they call highhandedness of the workers’ union. They accuse the union of demanding protection money and vandalising factories on owners’ refusal to pay.

Labour Qaumi Movement, Faisalabad Power Loom Workers’ Organisation, has distanced itself from elements demanding protection money and using violent means against factory owners in the name of workers’ rights. LQM chief Mian Qayyum has stated that his organisation has nothing to do with anyone creating a law and order situation at looms.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 24th, 2012.

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