All Pakistan Power Looms Association (APPLA) has decided to go on complete strike from March 30 and launch a civil disobedience move from April 1, if their demands were not met within next 48 hours.
Addressing a press conference here on Sunday Secretary General of APPLA Khaliq Qandeel Ansari said that power distribution companies (DISCOs) had increased Re.1.2 per unit with effect from February as fuel adjustment charges, while electricity tariff was increased for fourth time in a year by 34 per cent.
Moreover, long-duration loadshedding, high power tariff and non-availability of cotton yarn had forced the value-added textile industry to shut down, he said. "We will shut down our power looms across the country for an indefinite period until the government takes a decision to eliminate cotton yarn shortage in the domestic market and check its rising prices," said leader of the APPLA.
Khaliq Ansari claimed that leaders of nine value-added textile industries have assured their support for the strike.
Although the industry was given assurances of favourable measures, no decision yet to be taken to protect the sector, he maintained. He said that the situation has now gone beyond their control as a large number of power looms in Multan, Kasur, Sahiwal, Faisalabad are already closed down, whereas knitting, hosiery, towel, fashion apparel and home textile units are on the verge of closure across the country.
He said that it seems that the policymakers are trying to protect the spinning sector, which only earns around $1.2 billion through exports whereas the value-added sector earns around $10 billion. Former Chairman, All Pakistan Bedsheet and Upholstry Manufacturers Association (APBUMA), Syed Asim Shah said the world's largest fair Hemtextile in Germany, where buyers from the around the world assemble to place their orders, would also be missed if further time is wasted, he apprehended.
He said around 10,000 value-added textile units are supporting over 2,500,000 families having an impact on over 4.5 million people, as they could no longer sustain the losses.
He said that value-added textile industry was continuously protesting against the unrestricted export of cotton yarn and unprecedented increase in its prices in the domestic market since last eight weeks.
Crisis was repeatedly brought to the notices of the government officials in various meetings held at Islamabad. The government also promised to take necessary remedial measures but no practical steps have so far been taken, he said. Elaborating, he said that unbridled export of yarn has not only created supply crunch, but also escalated the prices in the domestic market.
Despite the fact that prices of polyester have come down internationally. With abnormal high jump in raw material prices, the cost of value-added textile products enhanced enormously and the export of finished goods become unviable in the face of tough competition in the international market.