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Trade Union activities on the upsurge in Lahore
Labour Party Pakistan - May 13, 2009
Farooq Tariq – New Khan Transport Workers Itehad Union blocked the GT Road yesterday in Lahore. The drivers and conductors went on strike after a driver was beaten up by the newly appointed security guards at the factory. Few hundreds workers went on total strike and walked out of the job from the main depot at Munawan, Lahore of the private bus company. They blocked the road for several hours.
The New Khan administration has been vicious against the workers for long time. The transport workers are paid less than the government determined minimum wage. A large part of the wages is deducted on the pretext of different unjust fines by the administration. The union was formed two years earlier but the owner, Amir Hayat Rokari, a member of Punjab Assembly from PMLQ has not recognized it. Although several round of negotiations have taken place but the administration is not willing to bring back the 22 union leaders sacked from the company for trade unionism.
The union leaders are sacked from the job but they have not abandoned the union activities and have established an office in front of the bus depot, a consistant source of irritation for the administration. The drivers and conductors of the bus company are normally visiting the union office but were reluctant to come in the open as they fear to loose the job.
Yesterday, on 13 May, this hesitation came to an end. All the employees of the New Khan bus company came in open under the union banner to protest the beating of a driver by the company private security guard; the driver was beaten up because he questioned the maltreatment of the workers by the company officers. He was asked to be shut up, which he refused and the armed guard were brought in to beat him. This sparked an immediate reaction by all the workers. The union provided the leadership. The police has promised to register a case against the security guard and the administration after the walk out.
Although, most of the print and electronic media came to cover this news but today almost all the papers and the private television channels have ignored the news.
Inter Wood is one of the most known furniture company in Pakistan. Most of the furniture for the army generals, bureaucrats and rich people are made by Inter Wood. Over a 1000 workers are employed by the owners. Since early 1980s, there was no union. With the help of Labour Education Foundation, a union was formed in March 2009 by the workers at the factory in Lahore.
The formation of the union was opposed not only by the bosses, but by many of the high profile company clients. They included politicians from rich parties, Military Generals and top bureaucrats. Anyhow, one good officer at the Labour Department played a crucial role in registration of the union despite all the pressure. This was the first ever union at the factory.
The bosses of the Inter Wood tried to harass the union leaders by bringing in private thugs. This did not work as the young union leaders made it clear that they will go to the courts against such tactics. They demanded that no armed men who are not employed at the factory should enter the factory. The boss has to accept it reluctantly.
The owner then went to National Industrial Relation Commission (NIRC) against the union that it should not be allowed the trade union activities within the surroundings of the factory. This was a plea on the basis that the union is registered but not yet declared as Collective Bargaining Agents (CBA). Although, the fact is that it is the only union at the factory. The NIRC ruled in favour of the bosses.
In an other attempt, the owner played a dirty trick and the union leaders were asked to speak to "labour department officials". The union leader went to the administration office at the factory. They were not labour department officials but were deceiving the union leaders. The union leaders were trapped and were asked to sign blank papers and hand over the copies of their identity cards.
When they contacted the LEF, and it was found that this was a deception and the blank papers dully signed by the union leaders would be used by the administration against the workers. After some investigation by the union, they found the person involved. The union went to police to register a case of deception against the person involved. The police at Baghbanpura police station is reluctant to register the case.
Yesterday, over 500 workers protested in front of the police station. The National Trade Union Federation leaders Yousaf Baluch, Moeen Nawaz Punno, Niaz Khan and Mehmood Butt participated in the demonstration along side with the union. The police is reluctant to register the case. They say that we have to take an advice from our legal department. This is just an excuse not to register the case. We are putting pressure ion the police not to side with the union leaders.
Farooq Tariq, Spokesperson
Labour Party Pakistan
40-Abbot Road Lahore, Pakistan
Tel: 92 42 6315162 Fax:
92 42 6271149 Mobile: 92 300 8411945
labour_party@yahoo.com www.laborpakistan.org
www.jeddojuhd.com
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