Rights: Loom workers protest wage-freeze
The protesting workers said that the factory owners had promised to raise the wages by 16 per cent
FAISALABAD:
Scores of workers belonging to Faizabad and Ghulam Muhammadabad on Tuesday staged a demonstration against factory owners over non-implementation of minimum wage law. The protesting workers said that the factory owners had promised to raise the wages by 16 per cent, which, they said, had still not been done. Instead the factory owners had locked the factory units and had also started firing workers from the jobs. The protesters also besieged the Ghulam Muhammadabad police station. They chanted slogans against the illegal lock-out and demanded immediate action against the owners. The protest was led by Aslam Miraj, the Qaumi Mazdoor Movement general secretary. He said the enhanced wage was their (workers’) right. He said the factory owners had entered into an agreement in this regard in the presence of the local administration but were backing out of it now. The protesters dispersed after DSP Muhammad Aashiq Jutt of Gulberg police station arrived on the scene and assured them that he would take up the issue with the factory owners.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2012.
Scores of workers belonging to Faizabad and Ghulam Muhammadabad on Tuesday staged a demonstration against factory owners over non-implementation of minimum wage law. The protesting workers said that the factory owners had promised to raise the wages by 16 per cent, which, they said, had still not been done. Instead the factory owners had locked the factory units and had also started firing workers from the jobs. The protesters also besieged the Ghulam Muhammadabad police station. They chanted slogans against the illegal lock-out and demanded immediate action against the owners. The protest was led by Aslam Miraj, the Qaumi Mazdoor Movement general secretary. He said the enhanced wage was their (workers’) right. He said the factory owners had entered into an agreement in this regard in the presence of the local administration but were backing out of it now. The protesters dispersed after DSP Muhammad Aashiq Jutt of Gulberg police station arrived on the scene and assured them that he would take up the issue with the factory owners.
Published in The Express Tribune, July 25th, 2012.