Strike against killing of Former Town Nazim Dr Pervez Mehmood on Wednesday partially paralysed industrial activities in the city, albeit causing huge production and export losses. After the murder, the strike call was given by Jamaat-i-Islami for Wednesday.
Almost 60 percent industrial units in the city were not able to operate because failure of workers to report to duty owing to non-availability of public transport and closure of petrol pumps and CNG stations. Units operated also worked with thin attendance. Trade and industry associations claimed that the industrial units were operating but lacked full thrust owing to poor workers attendance that remained short by 60-70 percent, causing production losses. In many offices a number of workers and labourers depending on public transport could not turn up. However, only few rickshaws were seen on roads but they demanded exorbitant fares as compared to normal ones.
The labour class earning Rs 7,000-10,000 per month could not afford taxi or rickshaws to reach their respective destinations. The industrial zone had to suffer a loss of Rs 350 million to Rs 400 million on account of the strike. Public transport, goods carriers remained off road. All the markets and commercial centers also remained closed.
Chairman, Site Association of Industry (SAI), Mohammad Irfan Moton said almost 60 percent industrial units remained closed in this industrial estate. He said that industrial units remand operative also worked with thin attendance. The attendance was almost 30 to 40 percent, he added. Chairman of the Korangi Association of Trade and Industry (Kati), Ehtishamuddin said industrialists suffered huge losses because of thin attendance.
He said almost 50 percent production activity suffered in this industrial estate. However, he said shipments of goods were carried out as usual as there was no hindrance in the movement of goods carriers. He said in Korangi industries 4 to 5 million employees worked in around 4,500 industries in which 50 per cent did not turn up due to non-availability of transport and fear of violence. Industries from North Karachi said that 40 percent of workforce did not make it to workplace and only workers living nearby areas were present.
The area comprises 90 percent units of garments and textile of over 2,000 factories, and around 70 percent of the workers out of 150,000-200,000 are on daily wages. Similarly industrialists from Federal B Area said that almost 50 percent industrial units operated in this industrial estate but due to strike the attendance in industrial units was around 30 to 40 percent.
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