FAISALABAD: Powerloom owners will continue observing a strike on every Friday against the imposition of duty on two yarn counts -60/s and 80/s -which has increased their prices manifold in the yarn market.

The decision of loom owners has directly hit the financial interest of thousands of powerloom worl(ers as most of them are serving on a contract basis and they earn only if they weave the fabrics.

Naeem, a loom worker of Faizabad, said workers were suffering due to a tussle between the owners of powerloom and spinning mills.

He said the duty on yarn would result in retrenchment of workers who were already living a miserable life.

He said it was already difficult to make both ends meet when the weaving unit owners had been running their units throughout a week.

Only workers would suffer due to strike on every Friday while owners could survive for months, he added.Council of Loom Owners Association (COLA) Chairman Waheed Khalig said the National Tariff Commission (NTC) chairman had assured loom owners of reviewingthe decisionintheinterestofthe weaving industry.

He said the one-day strike was being observed across the district on Friday while Faizabad loom owners would observe strike on Monday.

He said the decision led to the shortage of both counts at the yarn marl(et.

He said a delegation of loom owners along with MNAs Haji Al(ram Ansari, Dr Nisar Jutt and Mian Abdul Mannan had met NTC Chairman Qasim Niaz on Tuesday last and apprised him that the duty would badly affect the powerloom sector which was already struggling for survival on account of surging prices of gas and electricity.

He said the duty had been imposed without taking all stakeholders into confidence which would badly hit the local industry that was preparing for the weaving of lawn fabric, an essential variety ofwomen suits in the summer.

He said the parliamentarians had also briefed the NTC chairman over the issue.

He said Faisalabad had thousands of powerlooms and 60/s and 80/s yarn counts were raw material for this sector.

Labour Qaumi Movement Secretary Aslam Miraj said the workers were supporting the stance of loom owners and urged the government to immediately withdraw the duty.

He said though workers supported the loom owners, they did not bother to take labour representatives in a meeting with the NTC.

He said they would take to the street if the government didn`t withdraw the decision.

The government should take strict action against yarn dealers and spinning mill owners who were exploiting the weavers by creating artificial crisis.

He said the yarn traders were involved in speculative buying as they were well aware that the law did not exist that could curb such illegal practice.