F A I S A L A B A D : Powerloom factories in Sidhar sector have again been closed owing to the tussle between the owners and the workers on the issue of cleanliness and oiling of the looms.

Earlier, looms remained closed for more than three weeks in last month.

The Labour Qaumi Movement (LQM) has staged two sit-ins one outside the press club and second at the Sidhar Bypassagainst the closure of factories and registration of extortion cases against the workers.

Talking to Dawn, Abuzar Ghafari, the LQM spokesman, said workers were being penalised by the administration at the behest of the powerloom owners. He said acting SSP (Operations) Malik Awais had investigated the applications filed by the powerloom owners for registration of extortion cases against the workers.

He said the SSP had found all such applications baseless as the loom owners failed to prove that the LQM people were demanding extortion. However, he said, now police had registered cases against the workers which was injustice.

Thekariwala police registered two extortion cases on last Friday against about one dozen LQM leaders on the direction of the courts. However, no arrest has been made so far.

On Aug 8 last, loom owners had gone on strike for more than three weeks against the demands of extortion by the LQM leaders.

With the intervention of City Police Officer AfzaalKausar and DCO Noorul Amin Mengal the LQM and loom owners had agreed to reopen factories.

Waheed Khaliq, chairman of the Council of Loom Owners Association, said the situation was going from bad to worse for the factory owners in Faisalabad owing to weakness of the administration which had failed to net the extortionists attached with the LQM who were posing as labour leaders.

He said loom owners had to approach the court for registration of cases against the extortionists and police registered two cases but hesitating to arrest them.

Such elements were creating problems for the millers and the workers as both were ready to work following the fast approaching Eidul Azha, Mr Khalig said. He said now workers were being instigated to stop oiling and cleaning the looms that was mandatory to keep the machinery efficient and functional.

Ghafari said loom owners had been using workers for different assignments only to save money.

The LQM had asked the powerloom owners on Sep 1 to employ oilmen, loaders and cleaners and categorically said none of the workers would perform such jobs after Sep 10.

He said instead of employing workers the factory owners preferred to close their units. He said the looms were closed since the Saturday and the owners were forcing the labourers to perform the jobs which were against the rules. He said government had categorised the jobs of powerloom workers who would only weave the fabric.