Up in arms: Industrial workers in Haripur protest wage reductions

Junior official says management cut their salaries in keeping with court’s verdict.

HARIPUR: Over 300 industrial workers of a biscuit manufacturing unit in Hattar Industrial Estate protested on Friday in Haripur over the decision to reduce their wages.

The workers blocked the road which connects Haripur with Taxila and shouted slogans against the factory’s management. Subsequently, they held a sit-in outside the office of Haripur labour department deputy director Faizullah Khan. Protesters were led by representatives from Hazara Labour Federation (HLF), Labour Rights Movement (LRM) and Sahara Foundation.

Speaking to journalists, a large number of skilled and unskilled workers voiced their reservations against the management’s decision to reduce their salaries.

Hasnain, an industrial worker, said they received a monthly salary of Rs15,000 in 2014 after an announcement by the provincial government. “However, the factory management has reduced our salaries to Rs12,000,” he said. “We are already facing problems managing our monthly expenditures. A sudden reduction of Rs3,000 will add to our misery.”

Conspiracy theory

Naeem, another protester, said the pay cut has been allegedly prompted by a conspiracy to get rid of workers who hailed from Haripur.

“A large number of management personnel belong to Punjab and are trying to undermine the contribution of workers from Haripur,” he said. “By reducing our salaries, they are trying to please workers from Punjab who, incidentally, have not joined our protest.”

Addressing protesters on the occasion, LRM President Tahir Amin criticised the management’s policies.

“The biscuit manufacturing company has been violating labour laws for many years,” he said. “For instance, the provincial government had fixed a monthly minimum wage of Rs15,000 for unskilled workers. However, many skilled workers are also being paid the same amount.”

According to Amin, the salary cut is unjustifiable and should be reconsidered.

The other view

Although there were no senior managers available for comment, a junior official confirmed the salary reduction and insisted no labour laws had been violated in this regard.

“Ever since the government raised the salary of workers from Rs12,000 to Rs15,000 in July 2014, some entrepreneurs have succeeded in getting the notification suspended from Peshawar High Court,” he said. “As a result, the management has to follow the court's verdict and reduce wages to Ra 12,000.”

An official from the labour department deputy director’s office also shared similar information about the reduction of wages.

Meanwhile, workers threatened to continue their protest unless their demands were met. Negotiations between the management, labour department and workers’ representatives were under way till the filing of this report.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 9^th, 2015.