Preventing tragedy: Labour unions protest lack of law enforcement

Dozens of labour leaders, workers stage demonstration outside Labour Dept office

LAHORE: Several labour unions staged a protest demonstration on Wednesday in front of the labour secretary’s office. The protesters said that the Sundur tragedy had exposed the department’s failure.

Niaz Khan, the Ittehad Labour Union of Carpet Industries Pakistan general secretary, said that no factory in the country was paying its workers the legal minimum wage. “It is important that work places are made safe for workers. Factories should be safe for workers,” he said.

Khan said inspection of factories needed to be made more stringent. “Five workers recently died in a factory on Hadiara Road. Such incidents show that the Labour Department is not doing its job properly. The department has not announced any compensation for those who lost their lives in the incident,” Khan said.

He said that the rally was meant to urge the department to take action. “If they do not take adequate steps, we will protest with full force,” he said.

Yousuf Baloch, the National Trade Unions Council Punjab Chapter chairperson, said that there was no limit practically to the number of working hours in factories. “Most people in factories work for over 12 hours and are paid only Rs8,000. Basic necessities, including sugar and flour, have gotten more expensive. The minimum wage is not keeping up with the prices,” he said.

Farooq Tariq, the Awami Workers’ Party general secretary, said that the government had failed the workers. “They should take action against factories like Ayesha Mumtaz does against food outlets. The government needs to empower the Labour Department in a similar manner,” he said.

The protesters presented a charter of demands to the department. They demanded that the Labour Department immediately start a thorough inspection of all factories. They demanded that the minimum wage be set at Rs13,000 for an eight hour shift. They also demanded that workers who died during duty should be paid at least Rs3 million compensation.

Mehmood Butt, the Brick Kiln Workers’ Union Punjab general secretary, and Hassan Muhammad Rana, the PTCL Employees’ Union secretary general, were also present.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 26^th, 2015.