Labour leaders blasted the coalition government's policy on labour issues and demanded the holding of a national Labour convention in Islamabad at a meeting. The labour leaders called for a meeting of labour leaders from all four provinces to finalise their labour policy, the minimum wage and national pay scales.
They said this was a necessary step to allow senior workers to gain from recent increases in wages. The meeting, attended by Ashfaq Ahmed Khan, Secretary General of the All Pakistan Federation of Mazdoor Unions (APFMU), Shah Wali Rajput, President of the Staff Union of MDA (CBA), Taj Masih President of TMA Union. Chaudhry Javed Iqbal VP of TMA Multan (CBA) and Arshad Mehmood Butt, President of Al-Ghazi Tractors Union (CBA) Punjab were also in attendance.
The labour leaders also added that the coalition government had not amended the IRO-2000 or lifted the ban from trade union activities in Wapda, Pakistan Railways, SNGPL, Pakistan Postal Services and PIAC. They also criticised the government for not restoring the right to move to the labour courts or restoring labour appellate tribunals. Additionally the labour leaders criticised the government for their failure to announce a labour policy or in passing legislation for farm workers.
Ashfaq Ahmed Khan said that only 15 to 20 percent of industrial workers could get the benefits of the recently announced minimum wages increase to Rs 6000 per month. He said that local governments were openly violating the minimum wages rules and were paying only Rs 3500 to sanitary workers. He remarked that this was less than the Rs 4600 given under the previous government.
Khan also remarked that the Social Security Ordinance 1965, Standing Ordinance 1968 and IRO-2002 could not be made an act through Parliament, but are still ordinances after three decades. They also opposed the increase in power and gas tariffs and the closure of industries as it would render millions of workers jobless.
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