LQM rejects charges, says it wants better working conditions. PHOTO: NNI
Power loom owners on Monday staged a demonstration and demanded that the district administration and police take action against people extorting protection money from them.
The protesters accused leaders of the Labour Qaumi Movement, an organisation of loom workers, of overseeing a ring of extortionists who were threatening loom owners with dire consequences if they refused to pay them.
The protesting loom owners marched on various city roads before gathering at the Zila Council Chowk where held a sit-in.
Speaking to the media, Council of Loom Owners Association (CLOA) chairman Waheed Khalid Ramay said several LQM leaders had been convicted and imprisoned for extorting money from loom owners. He said after there release from the prison on completion of their sentences they were again sending threatening letters to loom owners and seeking monthly payments of protection money.
Ramay said several complaints had been lodged with the district administration and the Labour Department but no action was taken against the LQM. He said if no relief was assured by the administration, the loom owners would be led to take action against the organisation on their own.
The LQM rejected the charges and said the protest was an attempt by loom owners to malign the reputation of the organisation and to discredit its campaign for better working conditions and wages for workers.
In a statement issued to the media, LQM leaders Aslam Meraj, Baba Abdul Lateef, Aslam Wafa and Yaseen Inqlabi said the loom owners were afraid of the LQM’s ongoing efforts to seek timely payment of wages and improved working conditions at power looms.
They said loom owners frequently withhold workers’ wages and made them work overtime without paying for the extra hours. They said workers who refused to put in extra hours were threatened with dismissal.
About working conditions at the factories, the LQM leaders said that there was no supply of potable water.
They said they had lodged several complaints about the poor working conditions and nonpayment of wages with the Labor Department but no action had yet been taken about the matter.
They demanded that the Labour Department redress the grievances of loom workers. They said if it failed to do so the LQM would proceed with its strike call and ensure boycott of work at power looms from August 19.
In a statement issued last week, the LQM had called a strike and boycott of work at power looms if its demands for better working conditions, timely payments and better wages were not met by August 19.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 11th, 2015.
COMMENTS
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ