‘Don’t leave us to starve’: Workers protest closure of textile mills

FAISALABAD:

Hundreds of workers from the power loom and sizing industries staged a demonstration against the closure of factories on Tuesday.

The owners of sizing factories have shut down their units indefinitely in protest against the implementation of Section 40-B of sales tax on per yard basis.

Last week on Friday, Textile Sizing Industries Association Chairman Shakil Ansari had announced at a press conference that the sales staff had invoked Section 40-B of Sales Tax against sizing industry which had created a wave of resentment throughout the industry. He announced a strike for an indefinite period.

On Tuesday, hundreds of factory workers gathered on the Jhang-Faisalabad Road near Sadhar Bypass Chowk and blocked it for traffic. They said the factories’ closure had left thousands of daily and weekly wage earners unemployed.

Amjad Ali, one of the protesters, said, “Most of us workers live in abject poverty and have to work day and night to feed our families…we do not have alternate sources of income and are faced with dire financial constraints following the closure of factories.”

He said closing down factories was akin to starving workers. “If the owners do not open factories immediately, agitating workers will not be able to stand it anymore,” he said.  “Their actions are forcing us workers to attack their factories,” he said. A police team rushed to the scene and tried to persuade workers to end their protest. They told workers that their concerns would be communicated to higher authorities. The protesters called off their protest but said they would resume their protest on Thursday if their issues were not resolved by then.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 16^th, 2015.