Muttahida Qaumi Movement’s Labour Division on Thursday staged a protest demonstration to voice anger over Sindh Local Government (Amended) Ordinance and its anti-labour policies.
The demonstration held in front of Karachi Press Club was largely attended by workers and office-bearers of various Collective Bargaining Agents (CBAs) and labour unions of various government and semi-government organizations.
Protesters were holding banners and placards inscribed with slogans such as “Sindh Local Government (Amended) Ordinance not acceptable”, “usurpation of Karachi Metropolitan Corporation’s financial powers not acceptable”, “stop uncalled for interference in financial institutions”, “Contractual employees of Port Qasim Authority be reinstated immediately”, ”Sindh Building Control Authority’s top management’s maltreatment with its employees on ethnic basis not acceptable”, etc.. The demonstrators including elders, youths and women, also waved MQM flags and chanted full-throated slogans in favour of their demands.
The huge rally of the labourers was addressed, among others, by MQM Labour Division’s In-charge, Kazim Raza, Joint In-charges -- Sabir Khan and Zawwar Hasan -- and United Labour Federation’s president, Javaid Nehal.
Terming Sindh Local Government (Amended) Ordinance `a black law’, MQM Labour division’s chief, Kazim Raza, said that the LG Ordinance reflected thoughts of feudalists and hence it be withdrawn without any further delay.
He said that working class had always been close to heart of MQM chief Altaf Hussain and it was for this reason that the party’s labour wing had been playing its vital role for the welfare of labourers of the country.
Vowing to continue the protests against all the black laws and anti-labour policies of Sindh government, he said that the Karachites being educated and moderate would not allow anyone to usurp their rights.
He said that labourers would stage a huge demonstration in front of Sindh Assembly if the provincial government did not change its anti-labour policies.
He said that since labourers have been protesting merely because the People’s Party which despite raising bogey of `Roti, Kapra and Makan’ had been implementing anti-labour policies and, thus, making their lives miserable.
He said that the labourers’ voice was now being raised at all forums through the platform of MQM and, hence no one could usurp their rights.
He said that though the Pakistani establishment had remained against MQM and its chief Altaf Hussain from the day one and now the international establishment has also become part of that conspiracy.
Deploring that the employees in different organisations were deprived of their salaries for last several months, he attributed it to Sindh government’s conspiracy of merging the city’s financial institutions into its departments.
United Labour Federation’s president, Javaid Nehal, said that as a matter of fact Sindh Assembly has turned into an `ordinance factory’. Ends…
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